Scarlet Eyes
by Thatgirlinthepajamas
Summary: Kumo never trusted the Scarlet Eyes of her enemies, now turned allies. The lies take her downwards into the depth of madness and into the vortex of insanity that is Uchiha Madara. (There will be a slight OCxTobirama) Looking forward to reviews!
1. A thousand Lies and a Good Disguise

Tsukinowa Kumo was running. At eight years old, her legs were still shorter than those of the men pursuing her. Her friends had been lost somewhere in the forest and she imagined hearing their screams as she ran. She was too frightened to cry, too frightened to make the slightest sound. Her ears were deaf to the drip-drops of water on leaves, the ground was damp and hard and she was running, running for her life.

They had come from above, surrounding the children that were digging a hole by a pool of water. Four children and three grown men. Kumo swore to herself that she had seen one's eyes glow, the scarlet eyes of her nightmares. She found a group of scraggly thorny bushes, pushing herself behind them. There was an alien, metallic taste in her mouth that she swallowed. Her body ached, coiled tight like a rusted spring. She peered through the bush, noticing the sharp thorns and the inch-long cuts on her arms. Her cheek stung.

There was a warm hand on the back of her neck and she was thrown through the bush, wailing like any child would. Her body crashed on the damp earth and the smell invaded her nose, she sobbed. Her hair was matted with blood. Deep, mocking laughter. She heard it and her sobs quietened. She stilled and stared dumbly at her hands.

"What's wrong child? Don't you want to play anymore?"

She did not want to answer the man. He towered over her. Someone dropped a limp body on the ground behind her. She noticed a small glade of grass breaking through the dark soil. She nudged it with her finger. The man crouched down and roughly hooked his finger under her chin, pulling her face up to meet him. Her eyes never left the blade of grass but the feeling of his smelly breath on her face angered her. Acting purely on her gut, she looked up at his face, met the startling scarlet eyes and launched herself at him. It was an unexpected movement from her, she had only been running all this time.

When her forehead collided with his nose, her lips found softer skin below it and she bit down, shaking her head like the wolves they watched. Hands were on her shoulders pulling away, but her mouth was clamped down mercilessly, her head shaking violently. She was ripped away, something mushy and soft still between her teeth. She tasted blood, she knew it was both her own and the man's. She spat it out just as a hand collided with her face for the fifth time, her jaw burned with pain. She collapsed onto her side, curling into herself, shaking.

Her vision blurred, there were feet by her and then another pair and then a third pair. Her heart began to skip beats, her chest hurt. How could there be so many of them. There were some strange sounds and she saw her attacker fall to the ground right next to her, an open wound spurting blood on his face where she'd bitten him and a thin, precise line across his throat. His eyes were bulging, like he'd been shocked to death. A bloody clan symbol was on his sleeve, Senju. That wasn't right, her head ached and her vision blurred again. She was rolled over to face the sky, gentle hands were cupping her jaw. Her eyes closed and opened, someone was snapping their fingers in front of her and she was lifted. Then there was silence and the scent of death.

Two days later, the little girl opened her eyes for the first time. Her bandages were being removed, the healers had easily tended to the cuts and bruises but her jaw was stiff. And it hurt. She couldn't move her neck or her mouth to talk. The skylight in the ceiling signified that this was her room. She was home. Someone moved into her vision. Her father, Tsukinowa Takeshi. He was the right hand of the clean head and confidant of the elders. Her father was an important man. The look in his eyes was stormy, he was probably deciding on whether to scold her or to welcome her with warm words. He did neither.

"Kumo, you can hear me yes? Blink once for yes."

Obedient as always, she blinked. He nodded sagely and continued.

"You were attacked, I told you not to go too far."

She blinked again. There was a rustle and another figure came into her room but the steps did not sound like those of her mother.

"Ah so she has finally woken up Tsukinowa-san."

It was a deep, low voice. It scared little Kumo.

"This man saved your life Kumo, we are very lucky the Uchiha were pursuing those mad men."

Even though she was young, still a child, she knew something was wrong. She needed to tell her father about the scarlet eyes. But minutes passed as the two men spoke and her mother appeared to usher them out and comfort her little girl.

Just like that, years passed. The neutrality of her clan was given up, Uchiha settlements found their way into the once neutral grounds of the Tsukinowa. They began to train side by side. Her clan's bloodline that was once only harbored for medical purposes was being turned into a weapon. The other children that had been with her slowly disappeared from Kumo's life as the clan became more militarized. By the age of 11, Kumo herself was fighting off soldiers and healing the men that needed it.

Day by day, her clan descended into the dirt games of war. They traded their upscale healing skills for the protection and training of the Uchiha so they could fight for themselves. Kumo, unsatisfied with the knowledge she had, began to train secretly with the man who had rescued her. Uchiha Misaki. He was five years her senior and a deadly opponent in battle. She smuggled her father's scrolls and while he helped her master the skills they contained, he memorized the secrets of the clan, preparing to report them to his head. It was because of this that the position of the Tsukinowa was weakened in the years to come. They would be taken over by the Uchiha, used by them to their fullest potential. But nobody knew it yet. Only Kumo, who remembered the scarlet eyes of her Senju attacker suspected that the raven-haired beasts could not be trusted.


	2. Wedding Bells for the Deaf

It had been five years since Uchiha Misaki had left the Tsukinowa settlement, eight years since the first attack on my clan's children.

Coincidentally, today was also Kyoko's wedding day. She was with me when we were attacked by those soldiers. I wasn't inside the chamber, no maiden was allowed inside during the ceremony. Today was a big day for our clan- the head of the Uchiha clan and his sons had been invited and they had, to everyone's surprise, actually shown up. I leaned against the rough, earthen wall, straightening the creases of my dark red kimono. The clan colour. I eyed it warily, rubbing my sore hands. It was a habit for me now after every mission, a mad dash to the basin and rigorous scrubbing till my skin was pink. My long fingers were scarred and there was a bruise on my neck I'd forgotten to heal.

I sighed, everyone was inside right now save for us youngsters. I watched my little sister, Bee, run around chasing her friends in her light pink Kimono. She was born the year of the first attack and after that, no child had been too far into the woods. Not even with the Uchiha soldiers watching the place. This was now practically their own territory. We were their territory, under their protection. I flinched at the thought. It was difficult to trust them with so much doubt in my mind so I spent a lot of time keeping the memory deep in my mind, where I couldn't reach it.

I walked to the arches that opened out into the low dip of the valley, it was a beautiful view. I heard a door open and the sound of unfamiliar footsteps. I ignored it for a moment but turned to see who it was after some consideration. My shoulder collided with a chest, I stepped to the side to regain some distance. My cheeks flared but it was only Misaki. He smiled at me, as was his habit and joined me in silently gazing into the distance. We were both not really enjoying the view, rather looking out for the signal. The signal that told us it was time. I glanced at is profile, there was a new scar I had noticed the day he arrived. From his temple to the curve of his jaw, a steam burn.

"Do you think we would be susceptible to an attack today?"

This voice was new to me, I turned again to see another Uchiha. His built was similar to Misaki's but he was more…slender, more graceful. His voice was lower, controlled and stern. His hair was longer, shaggy, covering his ears and brushing just past his shoulders. Misaki replied in a manner too friendly to suit the aura the aura this man gave off.

"Yes, we will be. It is your father's presence here and yours that would be the most likely cause."

I eyed Misaki and said nothing. "Hm…" He spoke from behind me, it took self-control to not turn around. He kept his distance but was glancing over my head at the view. Somewhere far down the corridor there was an eruption of not-very-well suppressed giggles. The stranger turned to look their way and sighed, leaning against the pillar of the arch on the opposite side from us.

"Kumo, this is Uchiha Madara." Misaki was eyeing me in a way that meant I needed to be formal and careful, my clutzy nature was well known to him.

"My apologies," I said, turning to this 'Madara', "I am Tsukinowa Kumo, it is an honor to meet you." I bowed slightly and to my surprise, he bowed in return. "The honor is mine, Tsukinowa-chan. I have heard much from our men here about your skill." I smiled. Not really a genuine smile but I was being polite. It was not like I hadn't heard of him, he was frighteningly skilled. I had watched him cut through seven men in one go without using those terrifying eyes. I was in awe but my pride suppressed it.

"This is not the first time we've met," I glanced at him, wondering if he would make conversation. He didn't look back at me as I spoke and I panicked. "A few months ago, you were part of a search and hunt party that required- "Healing." He cut me off. I swallowed nervously, chuckling and nodding. He said nothing, responded in no way to my chuckle. What a piss off. I knew he was arrogant but he had seemed polite enough. At first. I noticed Misaki eyeing him, they both exchanged a swift glance. Something was communicated between them that I would never know and I immediately felt uncomfortable. Moving away from between the two, I decided to walk around to the other side, as far as possible.

"You are terrible with women."

"Shut up."

The wedding ceremony had ended some time ago. People were moving out to the open ground, chatting amiably. Several women went past me, giving me sympathetic and almost-apologetic looks. I huffed, a hand patted my shoulder. I fell into step with her, my mother. She was aware of the way people talked. It was strange that they could be so judgmental of someone who spent A LOT of time making sure they were safe. I wanted to throw them into my position, watch them quiver with the mental pressure of having to kill and slaughter.

My father was talking to Misaki. I eyed him as my mother nudged me, giggling as she did so. She had always found him handsome and all that but our relationship was much too involved with fighting and murdering and how to break specific bones etc etc. There was no way either of us would want to marry the other. Besides, I thought sourly, Uchiha women were beautiful with their creamy skin and raven hair. I was ordinary, my father would flatter me by telling me my skin was the colour of a "golden wheat harvest" but really, a wheat harvest was not as attractive as milky white beauty. I pushed my coppery brown hair off my shoulder and sighed. My mother was in a talkative mood. "Did you talk to Misaki-san? How is he doing?" I groaned inwardly, he had heard us and was glancing over at us with mischief in his eyes. He knew exactly what my mother thought of him. "He's fine mother, just the ordinary war business you know." My mother nodded, smiling and twiddling her fingers at him. He was waiting for us, falling into step next to her.

My focus shifted, I eyed the men walking next to me. Uchiha Tajima, the clan head was a tall man with the heaviest set of eyes. His stern mouth looked like it never smiled but there was a light in his eyes that shone as he talked to Madara. The second son glanced over at me. His face too, was blank. He turned to say something to Madara and Tajima Uchiha. I turned away, my cheeks flaring as I slowed down to fall back into the crowd. Neither of them looked back. I sighed in relief and carried on.

The festivities continued, there was eating and drinking in moderation and soon lamps were being lit. Kyoko looked beautiful and it made me feel slightly isolated from this life of marriage and motherhood. I did not particularly want it, anyway. When the sun began to set, I turned to leave. I felt eyes follow me, which was normal. They usually did when I would return from a long mission or have watch during the night. I hitched up my kimono and ran home when I was out of sight. There were soldiers drifting here and there. In my room, I tore off the kimono, tying my hair up in a knot with a single senbon through it. I pulled on my uniform, black with accented red shoulder, chest, shin and arm guards. My katana was strapped to my back as I stepped out, sliding the door shut. I headed east, furthest from the place of the ceremony. But that was not where I should have been. From the site, I saw smoke rising. An emergency or just the fires from the lamps? I sprinted to it, it didn't take very long. I lurked in the shadows of the roof watching the proceedings. Some men were drunk but most were alright, talking and laughing.

Uchiha Madara sat farthest from the festivities. His eyes set in my direction. I wondered then if he was watching me. I stood up from my crouched position on the roof, my eyes never leaving his form. He stood up too, navigating through the crowd to Misaki who sat conversing with some women. I took off, back to my spot.

It was dark here, I checked for unfamiliar chakra patterns but found none. I kicked a small rock and it hit something that shouldn't have been there. A leg. A man's leg. I looked up, one hand snapping to the katana on my back. It was a white haired man, dressed in blue armor. He stood right in front of me, blankly staring at me in the face.

"You caught me off guard you bastard." His eyebrow twitched and he tossed a scroll at me. I caught it, my eyes never leaving his face. "Why are you here?" He blinked as though I spoke in a language he didn't understand. Then he replied, he always took a few seconds to think before he spoke. "It's to congratulate your clan on it's achievements." He was mocking us in his blank voice. I hated this man "Plus, I need you to look into something for me. It's in that scroll." With that he vanished, disappearing so quickly that I blinked a few times to ponder if he had ever actually been there. I pocketed the scroll, checking for any witnesses. None. Or so I thought.

Something collided with my back, sending me spiraling into a tree. I reeled, turning around and cushioning myself. I coughed involuntarily, eyes wide at the man standing before me. He seized me by my hair and brought my face close to his. "What were you doing?" A singular question, seemingly harmless enough. But his tone, oh lord his tone. It was my death sentence. He would kill me right here. What would I say?

His body was crushing mine against the trunk of the tree, its branches dipped down over us, probably hiding our forms from anyone wandering by. He snatched the scroll from the satchel on my hip.

"Are you an informant? A rat? How many of our strategies have you sold to our enemies?"

"NONE! Nothing! I swear-" He pushed me harder against the trunk, my chest hurt. His eyes were boring into my skull. He wouldn't use his scarlet on me would he? "Tell me what this is." It was a demand. Simple, in his low deep voice. I growled at him, "Read it yourself!" He released me and I staggered, leaning back against the tree. He took a few steps back, opening the scroll and scanning its contents. There was a change of expression in his eyes. In the dark, I could see that something had changed in the set of his mouth. "What is it?" I asked slowly, my throat began to ache, my heart was going to jump out of it. He glanced at me and back to the scroll, reading it again. He rolled it and stowed it in his pocket. "Come with me. Now."

His voice was low and it was scaring me as each minute passed. Now I felt anger permeate my fear. "First you tell me what's in it!" I yelled. He whipped around, his hair shaking with the wind, to me it looked like he was suppressing the urge to kill me right here. "This," He pointed to his pocket, "Is a marriage proposal." His eyes were dark, they were burning into my skull. I paused. "What did you say?" He began walking again. I followed, hurrying after him, keeping my eyes set between his broad shoulders. He said nothing.


	3. For whom the bell tolls

He was walking very slowly for someone who suspected me of being a rat. I was curious, I pushed my luck. "Who is it for?" He said nothing. "Madara?" He stopped and turned his head to glance at me. "Why do you address me so informally Tsukinowa-chan?" I was silenced, my mouth felt dry. "My apologies, I seem to have forgotten my manners," He began walking again. "Madara-senpai, who is it for?" His silence was only increasing my curiosity, I picked up my pace.

"Why are you so interested?" I raised an eyebrow, replying haughtily, "He gave it to me, it's my scroll. I should know what's in it." Silence again. I looked away angrily. "Stop being childish Tsukinowa-chan." We kept walking. I wondered if he was going to call for council in a wedding celebration.

By the time we reached the site, the bride and groom had departed and with them, over half of the guests. My father, Tsukinowa-sama and Tajima Uchiha were sitting together at a table. Each man seemed to be absorbed in the other, politics was so interesting to them. I scoffed. Madara glanced down at me. Misaki was nowhere to be seen. I felt slightly nervous when my father glanced up at us. Something dark seemed to occupy Tsukinowa-sama's eyes. He looked solemnly at us.

"Kumo! Where have you been? Your mother was looking for you." By the end of his sentence my father had sunk into confusion, he glanced from me to Madara who was staring intently at him. He answered for me, "We went for a walk." My father only nodded slowly. His eyebrow raised involuntarily. Madara took out the scroll, stared down at it and then planted it on the table in front of the three men.

"Please explain this to me."

I paled. The men looked at the scroll, neither moving to touch it. Tajima Uchiha looked up at his son, curiously. "What is this?"

"A scroll, father."

His face became stiff again, a silent scolding in his eyes. Tsukinowa-sama reached it first, opening it and reading slowly with my father watching over his shoulder. He let out a loud laugh. My father looked slightly nerved.

Was it for me? Was it so hilarious to them? It was Tsukinowa-sama who spoke up.

"Looks like your daughter is some sort of prize of war."

My father frowned, "I don't understand this, we did not provide them with false information so that they could do this."

Tajima Uchiha, who was silent this whole time, spoke up. His voice was serious and confident. "They expect to solidify their relationship with this clan because they have believed you do not side with us. Since your only daughter has been married they'll settle for the next best thing." His eyes rose to meet my face, I flushed. Tsukinowa-sama spoke up then, "They are fools, what would they want this one for?"

My father's face turned stern and sharp. The man standing by me spoke.

"No woman of this clan will go to the Senju. It will only make matters delicate and dangerous for your women." His voice was low, calm like the softer rumble of thunder in the distance.

"Who died and made you head of this clan? If I want to give her away, I will." The head growled. Madara did not react, perhaps he was silently fuming.

My father's fist came down on the table, he was furious. "Silence. She is my daughter. Neither of you will speak for her. Come Kumo, we are leaving." I nodded and fell into step behind him, glancing back at the men. Tajima Uchiha was eyeing his son. There was some silent communication.

When we were close enough to home, my father spoke up.

"That was a close call child." I glanced at him, raising my eyebrows in confusion. He knew though that I didn't understand what he meant. "It is a coded message, did you not read between the lines?" Experienced as I was, I did not realize that such a message could be hidden in another. He looked tense, his fists clenching and unclenching- an old habit.

"We left the scroll with the Uchihas."

His words rang in the silence of our empty house, mother was probably asleep. Having walked my father home, I turned to leave for my duty. My post had been abandoned too long. On my way out, I nodded a farewell to my father. He looked tired and thoughtful. I still hadn't understood the coded message and I supposed he would not divulge this information to me until later.

-Third P.O.V-

Tajima Uchiha regarded his son silently, watching the flames dance across his angled face. He often felt that Madara had too much of his mother in him and sometimes, neither of his parents at all. They were walking back to their designated part of the settlement. The night sky was an inky black and probably clouded, barely any stars were visible. Or perhaps it was just his weakening eyesight. Neither of the two men spoke, Tajima scoffed at the thought. Madara was still a boy. Hardly could he call himself a man with his attitude, there were days when he wished he could grab him by his ear and make him squat all day as punishment.

"Did you read the scroll first?" Tajima was sure he did not need to ask his son this, he had seen the slight bruise on the Tsukinowa girl's face. He was sure Madara had caught her in the act of receiving the scroll.

"She did not know its contents until I brought it to Yatagarasu." Tajima nodded, his son was usually silent and reserved around women. "Did you hit her?" Madara scoffed at that, "I thought she was leaking secrets father, why was I not told of this arrangement of lies?" He watched his father from the corner of his eyes. Tajima was familiar with that behavior, Madara had never looked him directly in the eye except when they were arguing or he was trying to be difficult.

"I fear that this arrangement of lies is a little more than what we had agreed on. Yatagarasu is a fool, he knows not of it. We decided it was best to leave him out of this but I fear the Tsukinowa are trying to trick us." Tajima took a moment to glance at his son who was staring straight ahead, his hands behind his back as he listened attentively to his father. "There was a coded message in that scroll. The proposal is not of a wedding. I believe the Senju have a very good idea of our involvement and are indeed trying to coax the Tsukinowa to switch sides." Madara nodded, unsure of how his father deduced such a thing, he decided he would have to look into that scroll again himself.

He did not dislike the Tsukinowa but the intel he had personally received about a rat among their people unnerved him. He had not reported this to his father, he wanted to catch whoever it was in the act and he had a strong feeling that the woman he had restrained himself from beating was the very leak he had to put an end to.

Kumo was trailing the shadows of the forest, from one trunk to another, swinging up occasionally and back down to the ground. Her senses were alert but she felt exhausted and a little upset at the way Madara had instantly framed her as a rat. She was a rat, she knew it in her heart that one day it would be made very clear. Already her loyalties were doubted by Yatagarasu Tsukinowa and he was, she personally believed, the dumbest of the lot.

She went over their initial plan in her head, skipping from one branch to another. It started off as a manner in which the Tsukinowa could feign their neutrality and continue to trade supplies with other clans including the Senju. Tajima Uchiha was informed of this and after a month of observing, he asked the Tsukinowa to begin exchanging false political information regarding the Uchiha with the Senju. It was a wolf's game. From the jaws of one to another, neither the Senju nor the Uchiha were to be toyed with.

After a few scrolls exchanged, months down the line, the Senju requested an audience with a representative of the clan. Kumo's father was aged and well-recognized in territories, while Kumo was not. If anything, to those who knew nothing about her, her appearance resembled that of Hashirama Senju so much that no one would doubt her loyalties if they saw her conversing with one of the better known Senjus. Kumo was sent and her meetings were spread evenly through every month. Occasionally, she slipped real information to the clan. It was not because she enjoyed these games, it was because the presence of the Uchiha stressed her. The clan head, Yatagarasu, was never taken seriously and he was but a puppet of the raven haired people. Kumo herself could never forget the scarlet eyes of the proclaimed "Senju" attackers. She considered many times to question Toka or the white-haired man who sometimes communicated with her. His appearance in the forest inside their settlement was a scare for her. She realized that they probably were not aware that the Uchiha had been invited and perhaps the congratulations was meant to spite the clan.

Her mind went back to the scroll, perhaps the content had been edited to disguise the original message from the prying eyes of the Uchiha. The Senju were intelligent, cunning when they needed to be. Kumo bit her lip nervously. She stopped at a point on a roof that bordered the forest. Looking over, she saw a light go out in one of the smaller compounds. There was only the sound of crickets then and running water in the distance.


	4. Corrupt

Hello readers! Thank you so much for the encouragement and the favorites! This is my first time actually publishing on this site so I'm still trying to find my way around it. I tried to write purely from Kumo's perspective earlier but Ive shifted to third person for now.

I feel like Madara is slightly OOC so if you guys have any ideas on how to improve on that let me know, critique and tips are always welcome!

Enjoy!

* * *

The night had drifted away slowly, like a pleasantly long breeze with a chill. Kumo went over the events of the night, the way the Uchiha heir had crushed her against the tree. She shivered, scrubbing her skin harder involuntarily. Frightened as she was, the prospects of having someone figure out who and what she really was excited her. There were never mirrors in her room but today, she required one. One to view the blotchy bruise marks around the side of her neck where he had pulled her hair. Her back ached, the skin was sore but she let it be, a painful reminder would keep her alert and cautious.

She was sleepy, the night was not a calm watch as hers usually were. As much as she denied it, she was afraid of her father realizing that she HAD been selling out the Uchiha to the Senju. She worried over whether Hashirama Senju, in whom she had confided, would let her clan know as a rebuke. She was sure, from his brother's expression and snide comment, that they were surprised by the Uchiha's presence last night. There were some things she told them and some she did not. She shivered again, pulling a towel around her frame. Her dark hair clung to her skin just like the burden of her reality. She was a rat. She curled up on the mat in her room, letting the sunlight seep in and warm her damp form as she fell into an uneasy sleep.

"Open up! Open up Kumo!"

Someone was rattling the fragile sliding door to her residence. Kumo moaned in annoyance, rolling over. The draft in the room hit her warm skin, rousing her from her sleep. She propped herself up on her elbows and glanced down at her bare form, blinking her eyes sleepily. "Coming!" She called through her window, it was right above the entrance. She grabbed a white cotton knee length chemise with full sleeves to hide the still-pink skin from this morning's scrubbing. Her hair had dried into a soft mess of waves. She slipped out of her room, taking slow steps to the ground floor. The door rattled again and she slid it open angrily before the man could start yelling again. It was Misaki Uchiha. She raised her eyebrows, unimpressed with his sudden hasty appearance. He pushed her away from the door, letting himself in and sliding the door shut. He pressed a finger to her lips and then pointed up. Someone was listening? Kumo frowned, Misaki moved to seat himself on a stool.

"I heard of last night." His eyes were set on her, an intense gaze that always held her attention. He carried on, "I really hope you're not what everyone is saying you are." She understood then, what was going on. She shook her head, shaking herself awake. "I don't know what everyone thinks of me but I didn't expect that man to show up!" She realized that she started to sound shady and changed her words, "Usually they send a common soldier to deliver these scrolls and I know when to expect them. This was random, took me by surprise….I think they wanted to see what was going on in the settlement, I don't understand who let him get so close to our borders." She tugged the end of her chemise, realizing how bare her legs were. Misaki spoke up, steering the conversation, "You know you were bound to be put in this position. This plan was a risky one and you've been caught in it." She eyed him warily, how innocent did she have to act? "You know how I feel about your clan, I would never betray Tajima-sama, he entrusted me with this task." Misaki nodded, Kumo continued, "I want to be there when Madara-sama inherits the title, I want our clan to stand by just as they used to." It was the perfect cherry on top. Misaki nodded in encouragement, eyeing the ceiling.

Kumo moved to pour some fresh milk into a cup. It was still warm which meant the deliveries were late today. She sniffed it to check for sourness, it was fine. Misaki tapped his finger on the wooden table-top. "I don't understand how he got there or why they sent such an odd message." He whispered, he was looking at her with his wide onyx eyes. It unnerved her, he looked too sincere. "It was probably a hoax of some sort." She scoffed, looking over her shoulder at the slumped Uchiha. "Don't worry about it Misaki-kun, they probably believe the Tsukinowa want to be on their side."

There was a strange sound, someone's shadow was cast on the sliding door. She did not recognize it and moved behind the table, hiding her bare legs from whoever it was. "Come in." She sipped the milk, keeping her eyes on the door. Misaki sat up straight, his ears twitched. It was a civilian, both of them thought. It was a foot soldier, one that Kumo had seen lingering near the sake last night.

"Misaki-sama! Tajima-sama requests your presence immediately!" He looked nervous and his eyes shot from Kumo to Misaki and then to Kumo again. He was noting the emptiness of the house, there had been no one here except the two. It was something he would have to report to his master. Misaki pushed himself away from the table, nodding to the man. He slid the door shut and was gone but both of them could tell he was still within earshot. Misaki nodded to Kumo, his eyes looking suddenly tired. He would be seeing her later, she knew. But something was off. She shot out and grabbed his arm, he turned to look at her. They were both standing now, how had she not noticed before? He had never been this much taller than her. He seemed to notice and reacted, a finger was pressed to her lips as his eyes changed. They were a dark rose, not the scarlet of the Uchiha and lacking the black tomoes. Kumo stumbled backwards, the mug slipping. With one hand still on her lips, he caught it before it hit the floor. He was smiling, cheekily. It didn't suit Misaki's face. He had been behaving so uncharacteristically, she felt like an idiot for not noticing. He placed the mug on the table, wiping the smile away and his eyes changing back to grey. He stood for a while, facing the entrance. Once he was sure the soldier was out of earshot he turned to Kumo, leaning to whisper into her ear in his real voice. It was low, stern but charismatically controlled and warmed with a tinge of concern, "You left the scroll in the wrong hands, I would have told you he was coming but that would only make your position worse."

Kumo's hand reached to the table to steady herself as he towered over her. He continued, "Tajima suspects there is something going on but Madara knows, he's been informed, he keeps track of your meetings and the next message you'd receive from us you would be caught. He plans to have you caught in the act." He pulled away, Kumo's eyes had widened, not with shock but with fear. He wasn't done talking, "I know your father knows nothing about this, I know you never told him you were telling us the truth." She felt his eyes linger on the bruises along the nape of her neck, "If you have to leave, do it soon. You know where to go." With that, he turned away striding out of her house and sliding the door shut. Her heart was hammering. Was that how he had infiltrated their settlement? As _Misaki_? Was that foot soldier also part of his act? She slid to the floor, pressing her temples. If only she could think clearly.

Madara was pacing in the tent that housed most of their strategy meetings. Misaki Uchiha had last been seen exiting Kumo's residence. The thought of it made him curious. He tried not to obsess over her actions, it infuriated him to think of how easily she had slipped from their control and how confidently she had asked him to hand over her scroll. The encoded message echoed through his mind _'Join the Senju, make peace. You are being fooled.' _The manner in which it had been delivered was interesting, small characters were embossed into the lines between the hoax proposal. He would never doubt her father's loyalty but Kumo was a different story.

He recalled the first time they had met, on a search and hunt assignment for Senju prowlers trying to scale their borders. Nobody had kept an eye on her or where she wandered to during breaks or during actual physical encounters. He growled, he did not want to overthink something so trivial, more important tasks were at hand. Misaki Uchiha entered the tent, his hair disheveled. "Madara-"

He whipped around to stare at Misaki, "Where were you this afternoon?" The other Uchiha blinked, looking confused. "I slept in Madara-sama." His tone was plain truthful, a hint of confusion but no panic, no fear. Madara nodded. His eyes seemed to glow with the excitement of finding game, Misaki knew that look too well.

"It seems we have been infiltrated."


	5. Liar Liar

From here on, the relationship between Madara and Kumo will be more in focus. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

The rat's delicate position was made more precarious by the echoing blast just south of her residence.

Soldiers were rushing towards it, it was a singular part housing the Uchihas but the soldiers weren't just Uchiha, there were Tsukinowa too and among them, Kumo was rushing to the scene, her armour ready.

Madara called for a defensive formation around the settlement, with ten men on the surrounding borders while thirty stood by the destroyed wall. The tactical procedure was to simply fight and push out the approaching enemies. Tobirama and Hashirama were in tow. It took Kumo five minutes to reach and Madara, two. They made eye contact, he nodded in acknowledgement so she returned it, trying to act as normal as possible. They proceeded, she hacked through the 'enemies', regretting every movement with which she cut down a Senju. She had no choice, Madara was there and she was sure he had an eye on her.

Sure enough, someone appeared in her line of vision. He decapitated a soldier clad in brown armor and turned to throw a kunai directly towards her. Kumo ducked, kicking the man in front of her so he staggered and twisted his ankle. The kunai dug itself into a man directly beside her. He gurgled and his mangled body collapsed where she was crouching, a stream of red beginning to pool by her palm. She turned, eyes wide in annoyance. That could have been her. Madara smirked, his eyes glowing scarlet. She immediately looked away and launched herself at a man approaching him with speed, digging her katana into his stomach. She was lightning fast and with each kill, her pace increased. She had her clan's _kekkei genkai_ to thank for that. With each enemy she encountered, she drained some of their chakra, a silver ring forming around her brown, earthy irises.

She was quick to note that the only target of this attack was the Uchiha settlement. That meant she could prove herself innocent, last night's infiltration could be written off as an attempt to scout the location of their next attack. This was, after all, the first direct attack on the Tsukinowa settlement. She grunted, dodging a ball of flame. '_These Uchiha are so damn reckless' _She was moving further towards the inside of the settlement again while the rest moved forwards. She needed to avoid confrontation with either of the Senju brothers. It would make matters more trivial.

Just as she was making her way through the debris and scattered bodies, she spotted a glint and instinctively took a step back. Her head snapped to the left and there was the last person she needed to see. Tobirama Senju was cutting his way through five Uchiha, deflecting a kunai that was accidentally sent her way. He did not spare her a glance as she turned around to hack the man sneaking up behind her. The silver in her eyes was glowing fiercely, indicating that she had enough chakra to spend. She moved towards the closest ally to heal them. She was popping in someone's dislocated shoulder when she was pulled away by a flood of water. The strength of the chakra moving through it could only belong to one person. It held her in place, with her head just above the water while her patient drowned. She swore, struggling to move. In a flash, the white haired Senju was crouching on the surface, looking at her intently. "Good day to you, Tsukinowa."

Kumo swore. He clicked his tongue. "You're mediocre with your words." She could have drunk up some of his chakra but if she took any more she would harm herself. He had been waiting for this opportunity. She hissed, "What the hell are you trying to do?!" He stood up, planting his foot on her head and pushing her down into the water. Kumo struggled, she held her breath. Some water had already made it into her nose and was burning her insides. Why was this water so electric-prickly? Her body started to feel heavy. The ground was still beneath her feet but the water had wrapped itself around her. She could see Tobirama's silhouette moving away quickly from the sphere she was now in. He was dodging something. She saw jet black shaggy hair and the crimson armor. A metal fan. Adrenaline was kicking in and dying down, drowning just like the rest of her.

Thinking quickly, she began to absorb the chakra in the water. There was so much of it, so much of it was familiar to her senses. Of all the times she had tracked down this particular Senju, she had known his trail like her own. He was difficult to trace but she had mastered it. Now she was regretting it. The waters hold weakened, it wobbled around her and with a push she broke it, coughing up water and smacking her chest to get most of out. Her body was burning. She had too much in her. Her eyes met another Uchiha's and she pulled herself up, elbowing the person who had snuck up behind her.

She sensed him then, just beyond the destroyed wall. Rage was throbbing in her veins as she punched her way through the wave of reinforcements. It was a fighting technique easy for her clan to master, make physical contact and then release small amounts of chakra compressed into the limbs. She was through five men, then six then- she narrowly avoided hitting an Uchiha.

This wasn't about her pride she told herself. It was about the carelessness with which he almost _killed her. _She was raging through the debris and the corpses, gaining on one person. He was further into the forest, farthest from the debris in which he almost had drowned her. He had, most probably, sensed her approaching him with speech. When he came into her vision he was disposing of another kunoichi, her wet corpse fell to the ground as the sphere of water dissolved itself. He turned in her direction just as her knee collided with his face. Instead of dodging, he grabbed her arm, pulling her with him as he hurtled further into the mass of trees. He turned them over, kneeing her in the stomach and kicking her further away from him.

He moved quickly the way he usually did, disappearing from sight and then suddenly in front of her. She grabbed his hair, growling as his hands caught her wrists. "You bastard" She whispered. He was staring her down, tossing her to his left as he stood up and walked to her. His expression was always blank. He waited for her as she stood up. He stepped closer to her, he was sure there was no one around. He could detect no chakra except his own and some of hers, which was also tainted with his. His fingers ghosted the nape of her neck, over the violent, blotchy bruises. She punched his jaw and his head shot upwards. Their bodies did not move. There were a few inches between them as he lowered his gaze to hers, huskily whispering "Sorry, they asked me to kill you." He could see the shock plain in her eyes. He knew her ego to be big and though their mutual dislike of Uchihas had improved their terms with each other, there was this singular restlessness, an unease in her eyes that made him feel guilty. She had trusted them afterall.

Abruptly, the rings around her eyes flared and an energy pulsated through his chest plate, cracking it. He was thrown into something hard and rough. A tree. His vision blurred, he moved in time to dodge the punch that obliterated the tree he had been sunken into. The ripples of chakra shook the area around them. Somewhere he could sense his brother, his chakra wasn't dwindling yet. Something collided with his jaw, he felt it break as he was thrown further into the trees. There was a roar and a wave of water came crashing towards her. Not falling for this a second time, she shot up, seeking higher ground. Just as she climbed the branches, someone came to a stop directly above her. He was panting, his eyes glowing fiercly. Mobile wooden limbs tore through the tree tops. She jumped onto one, using it to find her original target. Pouncing down, she found him more alert then before. Tobirama side stepped and kicked her in the chest, she was thrown into more broken trees. He was hovering over her, reflecting her anger. "What the hell do you think you're trying to do?" He was straddling her now, the wood dug into her back uncomfortably. She flipped them over, her hair curtaining their faces as she remorsefully prepared her fist to smash his face in. His expression changed, he caught her wrist and squeezed it till he cut off her chakra flow. "Don't do this to me." Her voice was no longer angry, she sounded exhausted. Abruptly, his eyes shot above them and he threw her off him, growling. His expression became hostile as he reached towards her, his fist making contact with her stomach albeit more gently than his previous attacks. He whispered into her ear, "I'll try not to." She growled, seizing his wrist and turning to wrap her legs around his torso and her arm around his throat to choke him. His hair tickled her face, she leaned in to whisper "You should leave now. Before I kill you first." He threw her off him easily, with more force than she expected. She hurtled through two thick trunks, her foot twisting itself at a weird angle. Many Senju were retreating and he was gone in a white flash.

She saw Izuna walking to his older brother who was leaning on his fan and grinning maniacally. She pulled herself out of the mess. Pain shot through her leg, she suspected a broken leg. Her ankle hurt. She limped towards the settlement, partially dragging herself. Her eyes met Madaras as she passed, his grin only widened. He walked towards her, hooking his fan behind him.

Without warning, he pulled her right arm over her shoulder, taking weight off her injured ankle. She turned to look at him, surprised. He was staring straight ahead, the maniacal grin gone. He glanced at her and his mouth seemed to stiffen like he did not want to be the one doing this. She tried to pull away from him but his grip was vice-like. When they came to the debris, they easily jumped through the mess. He was regarding her with curiosity. She didn't look back at him, "What is it?" He scoffed and spoke in his same deep voice "Your eyes, I've never seen your _kekkei genkai _up close." "Ah I see." She was tense, he could feel her muscles coil the moment he gripped her. "What was this attack about, rat?" At that her head shot to glare at him. "I do not know Madara-_sama._" He noted the mocking honorific with amusement. "So what do you get then?" She looked at him again, confused. He looked straight ahead, feeling pleased in his head. He continued, "What do you get for the information you give them?" He presumed her first reaction would be to lie.

"Nothing. I get nothing but promises of peace." He frowned then, still staring straight ahead. They were in the settlement now, people were helping the injured. Tsukinowa men and women were healing soldiers wherever they were needed.

His voice was honest, still deep, but lacking the sinister depth he usually addressed people with. "There will be no peace till someone important dies."

With that he let her go and she limped herself to a place she could sit and proceeded to heal her body. Surprisingly, her chakra seemed to have abandoned her. She straightened her leg, popping her shoulder into place with a roll. Someone approached her and she nodded to her to heal her without letting her ask. The younger girl immediately kneeled down, pulling the leg to straighten it properly, green aura emitting a feeling of calm over her strained limb.

Her heart twisted, she needed to scrub herself free of Senju. She was a fool to have trusted them even in the slightest. She would have to admit the truth. To her father, to Tajima-sama. To everyone. Unconsciously, she began to press her hands, tugging at the skin, tugging till it hurt.


	6. Ribs

I wrote this while listening to Bloodstream by Stateless, give it a listen, it gives a little insight into what the characters are going through (specially Tobirama)

Cheers!

* * *

Yesterday's attack had completely destroyed the southern wall and now the Uchiha were restructuring it similar to their compounds well designed defensive walls. The idea to change the settlement's defenses had been voice by Izuna Uchiha. He was the mastermind behind some defensive advancements in their compounds. The Tsukinowa were willing to assist the Uchiha with anything.

Kumo was perched at her windowsill. She was on house arrest for now. It was a surprise that nobody spoke against her poking out the window. Her chemise let the breeze touch her skin. Her hands stung when they came in contact with anything. Yesterday after she'd returned home, she'd scrubbed them harder than ever. The first person she admitted anything to was Madara. It was not difficult to find him, she recognized his strong chakra helping other soldiers move the debris around. She had a crutch to help her balance and he seemed surprised to see her. Her mind shifted to the memory.

_She was leaning heavily on the crutch in a loose black shirt and a pair of standard uniform pants. She didn't have to call his name to get his attention. He looked up the moment he heard the unfamiliar tapping sound of the stick. His hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and he still hadn't cleaned up. Kumo felt a flutter of guilt, he was dedicated to his people. His eyes took in her appearance, the wet hair, bandaged hands, the slight pink creeping from under her collar. He said something to the men with him, only two of them were Uchihas. She recognized her neighbor's face in the group. Dusting his hands, Madara approached her. He looked uncertain, curious but not smug. She respected that. "We need to talk Madara-sama." He raised an eyebrow, she did not sound like she was mocking him. He looked around, his voice was tired "Is it very important rat?" She flinched at the casualty with which he addressed her. She nodded, breaking eye contact. He sighed, walking past her. Surprised, she limped behind him, the tap-tap of her crutch irritating both of them. _

_He didn't lead her very far, just to a secluded corner with a rock she could sit on. She dropped the crutch, taking a deep breath. He kept his distance but he was still looming over her. Her throat hurt as she spoke, cracking with emotion._

_"I made a mistake."_

_"How so?"_

_She looked up at him, guilt shining in her eyes. His face was expressionless. "I sold you out, us, the Uchiha, the Tsukinowa. My father didn't-" He raised his hand and closed his eyes. "I know all this." His voice was dusted with irritation. Kumo pressed on, "I want to hand myself in." He opened his eyes, raising an eyebrow. "Hand yourself in to who?" She looked at her feet, then his feet. His toes had small cuts on them too, slivers of scars. Her voice cracked and she could barely hear herself. "To my punishment."_

_He crouched down then, making eye contact with her. "You have already. I knew of your actions all along." She nodded, swallowing. "I know your father did not know you were reporting true facts to them. I am disappointed that you were deluded with hopes of a warless future." She glanced down again, ashamed. "I will speak to my father. Goodnight." _

_With that he stood up and left her staring after him._

Now, as she watched the partially constructed wall, she felt even worse then she had yesterday. But the burden of guilt was gone. Her father had her under house arrest and there were some Uchiha men keeping watch on her outside. There was a knock at the door and without waiting for a reply, it was pulled open. She glanced over her shoulder. It was her father. "Get dressed, the elders are ready to see you." He slid the door shut. A pang of guilt was fresh in her heart.

She was to wear the standard black underclothing of armor. Her katana, her protective armor was all taken away. Even her kunai and the senbon she used for her hair was gone. When she was done, she stepped out and her arms were snatched into cuffs. Her hair was still undone but nobody seemed to care. She kept her head low as she was marched to the elder's quarters. She ignored the feet she could see, all the people crowding around her. A tear slipped from her eyes and someone cursed her but was immediately silenced.

The quarters were lit by candles. It was late evening. Four of them were present, accompanied by Tajima Uchiha. She did not notice the Uchiha heir who stood immersed in shadow. He was to observe and learn how traitors were dealt with.

"Kumo Tsukinowa, you are found guilty of trading clan secrets." One elder spoke, the others nodded. Tajima's eyes were set on her. Another elder produced a scroll and read from it, "Here is listed all the crimes you are guilty of," She cleared her throat and carried on. "You were made in charge of delivering false information to the Senju, during which you slipped valid information without informing those in charge." Kumo swallowed. "You are guilty of sending and receiving information which has allowed the Senju to be aware of the happenings in the Tsukinowa settlement. Indirectly, you are also held responsible for the attack yesterday that cost us the lives of 6 good men."

Kumo continued to stare straight at the elder who was speaking. She tried to breathe slowly and listen to the old woman's scratchy voice. Tajima Uchiha cleared his throat. The elder put her scroll away and nodded to him. He spoke, addressing the elders.

"It is also significant to remember that Kumo Tsukinowa, despite being an informant, retained information about the presence of the Uchiha in the settlement. As my eldest son witnessed on the day of the wedding ceremony, there was an infiltrator who assessed and discovered the presence of the Uchiha in this settlement, Tobirama Senju to be precise. When he sensed my son's presence, he handed a fraud message to the girl who had just come across him while on patrol. We are all aware of the younger Senju's ability to travel at lightning speed. He was gone before she could question him."

Kumo looked at Tajima in shock, half expecting him to wink at her. But his face was stern and serious. The elders were nodding. She glanced at her father, who looked surprised as well. She noted the absence of Yatagarasu Tsukinowa. It was better for her if he sat out of this trial.

The old woman hummed, nodding her head. "Present your witness to us Tajima-san." Tajima Uchiha smiled a smile that never reached his eyes. Someone stepped behind her and then to her left, she caught a glance of his feet, she could recognize those pale, scarred toes anywhere. She could not find it in herself to look directly at him or anyone else in the room.

He spoke up, his voice like distant rumbling thunder, deep and low. "After the ceremony, I left to wander around. I grew tired of the company of drunks that had remained at the feast. I sensed the Senju's chakra and I went towards it. Kumo Tsukinowa was on patrol and was coincidentally heading in the same direction. I hid myself and followed her, she was surprised at his sudden appearance and was prepared to attack before he sarcastically congratulated her on the wedding ceremony. Then he caught sight of me and threw the scroll at her and disappeared. I confronted Kumo and she handed me the scroll. She too was confused and told me that he was not supposed to witness the presence of the Uchiha. She was afraid they would use our presence as a reason to attack and that is exactly what happened."

The elders nodded, Tajima brought his palms together looking thoughtful. The second elder who had remained silent then spoke up, "Then we cannot say she was responsible for this attack." All the elders nodded, one waved a hand at Madara and he stepped back into the corner where he had been standing.

The old woman spoke up again. "Kumo's loyalty is still at question. We are aware of her Senju heritage, her real mother was one and she has frequented Senju territory every year before the last four years after her mother's passing." The elders nodded, Kumo blinked hard. Her eyes felt warm, she was running a fever.

Tajima spoke up again, "Elders, I feel that the correct punishment for her would be to move her to the frontlines in the west."

The old woman snapped "So she can report all your battle strategies to the Senju? I think not!"

"Ah you misunderstand, she will be held prisoner there. She is a medic by training. We need more of the Tsukinowa's superb healing skills and for someone with her kind of skills, I think it is perfectly suitable for her to witness the harshness of front line injuries."

The elders nodded. Kumo glanced at her father, he looked stricken. She felt more guilt. The trial was dismissed while the elders thought over Tajima's suggestion. Kumo was led outside and sat in a corner by the building, accompanied by two Uchiha. Her leg hurt, her crutch had been taken away. Madara emerged from the building, he was dressed similar to her, in just the black underclothing. He glanced at her, his grey eyes piercing her slumped form. When she did not acknowledge him, he continued on his way. Her face was vacant.

* * *

"How could you expect me to just have done it?" Tobirama groaned at the man looming over him. He was slumped on a stool, his face in one hand. He was exasperated. Hashirama glanced at his younger brother. Feeling just as conflicted, he put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder.

"That woman nearly killed you." But it fell on deaf ears, Tobirama was not listening to his brother. "She never would have, you know she has the same aspirations as you." He sounded tired. Hashirama had noted the exhaustion that seemed to have seized his brother since the order. Emotional turmoil he supposed. The girl had been honest enough, Hashirama had noted the guilt she shouldered from giving away her clan's secrets to them but there had been only one goal. Interestingly, she'd left out the presence of Madara Uchiha and his father in their settlement.

"I went to her, to see if she was alright in the afternoon," Tobirama had been keeping this from his brother since the attack. "I wanted her to be innocent in their eyes. That's why we attacked right? Not to kill her. What does she even know about us that could make her a threat?" Now he was just talking to himself.

"Come brother, you know she was in a compromised position." Tobirama slowly nodded, his face was pale and his eyes looked pained. "We can't abandon her like this. You know it's wrong." His usually steady voice cracked as he spoke.

Hashirama sighed. His brother was right, ethically. They were the ones to convince her to become the leak. Hashirama specifically. Since she came to visit her mother in their territory every summer, they had spoken to her about peace and a warless land. Hashirama shook his head, ruffling his brother's white hair as he left him to his thoughts.

Tobirama looked over his shoulder at his older brother, they shared the guilt. He knew that much. There was another problem though, not one of betraying a woman they had taught to trust them but one of undoing something that could not be undone. Tobirama put his face in his hands, pressing his palms over his eyes.

"We were taught never to love."


	7. Sting

Hey guys! A shout out to Jay for the review, I shall indeed keep writing! I hope you enjoy this chapter, there's going to be some character building on Izuna and Madara, in the next chapter, something deeper than just brotherliness. Izuna has never struck me as the soft and gentle one of the two... He kinda creeps me out to be honest.

Anyways, enjoy!

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It had been two days since the Elders passed their final decision on Kumo's fate. She was to leave, accompanied by a large number of Uchihas who were moving to the front lines. Instead of west however, she was being sent north. She was only allowed to pack the bare minimum of necessities, including a thick black overcoat. Her hands were cuffed while her sack was thrown to a cart being pulled along.

She had bid farewell to Bee and her step-mother, hugging them long and hard. She ached but her tears were spent the night before. She expelled the thought of the men she trusted, emptying her heart. When she fell into step with the men, she was pulled into the center. She had never been far north. She dreaded the thought of the cold, she was a child of summer. The climate was always warm and the chilliest weather they had was just enough to bring our yarn-knit tunics and leather. She could sense familiar chakra ahead of the line. Possibly Misaki or Madara. But she eliminated the second name, his was a powerful and dark aura that had stamped itself onto her mind. She would not be forgetting it.

The landscape faded from rich green to pale green and yellow. The soil was looser and rougher. It was damp, there were green pools of water and as they headed further through the rough terrain, the grey became more prominent. In the distance, the pale green was speckled with blue-greys and browns. A slow breeze carried a stench with it. The ground was rising, rocks jutting out of the grass. They had left the vale far behind them. Before tackling the rise, they sat to rest. The sun was hanging low, perched on the great sill of the sky, watching them as if in a dream. Its warmth didn't reach them and Kumo shivered. The warmth of body heat from the formation had been expelled when the men fell away to rest. The man leading her had tugged her with him and she sat by a group of burly soldiers, a little to the side. Her shoulders slumped gloomily as she watched the Uchiha.

Not far from her, a group of men was standing, facing the rise. Misaki turned to look at the younger man next to him. They were silent, the wind was stronger up the rise and it was carrying with it the unmistakable foul stench of rotting flesh. "It will be tough getting up this." The younger man simply nodded, he was not particularly talkative today. When he did speak, he held the air of someone ultimately calm, still water with a fierce undercurrent, "It's always tougher going up. My brother will join us in two days from the west. We should reach before then." Misaki nodded. "What of the bodies?" There was silence, for a moment he wondered whether the younger one had zoned out. He turned to him curiously "Izuna?" He did not respond, but narrowed his eyes. "We should bury any Uchiha we see, but I doubt those corpses belong to us."

It felt like they had sat for only a bare few minutes. Kumo's thighs began to ache as they trudged up the rough terrain. She paused for a moment but a hand pushed the small of her back and she teetered, losing her balance and then scuffing her toe on a rock. She hissed in irritation. The man pulling her along looked over his shoulder, pursing his lips and then ignoring her again. She heard someone calling over the group, a voice that was easily recognizable. It was Misaki. _He must be in charge of this infantry _thought Kumo, looking down at the hands that were cuffed in front of her. The wrists were going to have bruises, she suspected. It was when she was looking down that she saw the first corpse that shocked her.

Her first reaction was to stumble away so as to not step on it. She bumped into the man behind her, bile rising in her throat. "Walk straight!" He yelled, pushing her away, she looked back at the corpse and then ahead. Izuna had heard the commotion, he fell back and saw Kumo looking pale and sick. He had assumed that the sight of a partially rotten corpse would be ordinary to her but he was wrong. He was amused. He fell into step next to her, eyeing her with a spark of humor. "Don't look at them but try not to step on any, you'd hate to carry that stench on your feet. It's too cold for you to wash up there." She looked at him with wide eyes, paling further. He let out a short laugh, a boyish sound. Kumo frowned then. _What the hell. _She continued to walk, trying not to look down at her feet. She stared up the rise, it would take them all of today and tomorrow to reach the battlement that was set between the mountains. It wasn't visible from where they were. Izuna was still walking by her, smiling. She spoke for the first time that day. "It really isn't so funny." He glanced at her, smiling Uchihas looked stranger than normal Uchihas. "It is, I just _assumed _you'd be used to seeing rotten corpses but then I remember that you're a _woman._" Kumo raised her eyebrows, looking at him and feeling slightly miffed. She grumbled and he patted her shoulder, moving forward with perfect ease.

She watched him go, he was so different from his brother. Where Madara towered over her, Izuna was just slightly taller than her. He looked thinner than his brother, less aggressive in his tone too. There was something off about him though, he strode past the bodies, only glancing for decomposed Uchiha faces. He was not perturbed in the slightest.

Higher up the terrain, the rocks began to split unnaturally, painted dark brown here and there. There were fewer bodies here and more rocks. The group split to go around a cavern in the steep hill. It looked like it had been caused by a clash of ninja rather than a natural occurrence. Kumo peeked over the edge, the inside looked like the inner part of broken rock- she could see lines of sediment and marble. She wondered who had clashed here to have caused this destruction. Some men began to talk rousing her out of her thought. They were murmuring about being close. She looked up and sure enough, she could make out a pale rectangular form lodged between two mountains. It was white and blended in so well with the environment that she had to squint to find it. The men found energy and strode faster, pushing and prodding Kumo to keep up with them. She hurried along, secretly borrowing their chakra every time someone made contact with her. She noticed some men narrowing their eyes at her but she paid no heed, it kept her going. She had no intention of running. The group's pace was steady from then on, no breaks or rests. They intended to keep going past nightfall, using their eyes to walk through the rocky uphill slope. Kumo had to stumble along, depending heavily on the man pulling her to warn her for large rocks or small crevices. Here and there the rock shimmered, indicating silicone deposits. She had to watch her step, the rock was slippery.

Above the group, the moon hung like a dim lamp casting delicate silver on everything it touched. Kumo glanced up at it just as the bare remains of a cloud drifted past. _The ring around the moon, _she thought. _That's what our name means, ring of light around the moon _she repeated in her mind. The nin around her were moving quietly now, only the sounds of their feet audible as they hustled. Far ahead and above she saw a figure. It stood very still on a sharp rock that jutted out more than six meters above the ground. His white haori stood out against the dark landscape, illuminated by the moon. _Izuna Uchiha. _Kumo wondered about him. He was just as curious a man to her as was his brother. He exuded a calm collectiveness that betrayed the torrent of emotion underneath, she had recognized that much. He had a twisted nature.

* * *

Izuna turned to check the distance left between the group and the battlement. Only a few miles till the soldiers reached _that _rock. He narrowed his eyes, finding its gruesome form sprouting from where the land sloped downwards slightly. Parts of it shimmered a strange translucent orange-brown where the moons light dusted it. '_How many of these men were __there?__' _He wondered to himself, taking a deep breath. There was a chill in the air that did not yet hurt his lungs. It meant the weather was warmer. '_No wonder these corpses rotted so fast.' _He turned back to the group, he could see the unusual space in the formation where the soldiers encircled their prisoner. He blinked slowly '_Kumo Tsukinowa, the cloudy light around the moon. What a name.' _Izuna felt uneasy around her, their psychology was similar, twisted, deceitful and strange. And _he _knew that _she _knew. They both knew. Izuna smiled to himself, he was always struck by how one mad man could recognize another in the blink of any eye. He exhaled, looking beyond the group.

'_Where is Madara?'_


	8. Night Time, My Time

The right songs for this chapter are Sky Ferreira's "Night Time, My Time" and The Neighbourhood's "Sting"

At this point, Kumo and Izuna are the same age, Madara is older than both. I'm still trying to figure out how to build on his character and his relationship with Kumo, it'll take a while...

Cheers!

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"Gather them here!" He barked across the rocks. Madara stood at the mouth of a huge crevice. He glanced down at the few decomposed corpses they had dragged into it. He strode across taking two dead men by their feet and dragging them into the crevice.

"Keep your eyes open, don't leave anyone behind!" He called again, the men in the distance were dragging five or six. There were already twelve in the crevice. Madara glanced at the men who had gone uphill to bring the bodies down to the crevice. They were dragging them down, each with one hand to his nose. The stench was _'revolting.' _Thought Madara as he eyed a loose limb by his foot. He kicked it in. He scrunched his nose in disgust. It was the early hours of morning, a dim pink light was glowing in the east. '_How did Izuna just leave these here? They're not my mess.' _Respect for the dead was one thing and disposing them for _hygienic _reasons was a different story. A kunoichi threw in a particularly yellow body, her face green. "Heh." Madara gave her a funny look, amusement in his eyes. She scrunched her nose, "These are disgusting Madara-sama." She turned back to help the others, Madaras eyes followed her as he replied "I know." He tore of his dirtied gloves, tossing them into the crevice as the last body was thrown in. His men followed.

Being Uchiha, fire was the natural choice. Madara considered burning the bodies and wondered what the black smoke it would release would do. "Leave it to me." He whispered to his first in command. It took a few seconds for the black flame to devour the corpses and leave nothing behind, no smoke nor ash. His eye stung slightly as it returned to normal. They carried on as day broke out over the terrain. His men were wary of this particular point on the terrain. He could sense remnants of Uchiha chakra, his brother had been past this a whole day ago. Madara led the way, his group of men was smaller and they travelled quicker. It took less than half an hour to reach the rock that darkened Madara's mood. His men became more silent. It was a formidable structure, rising higher above the ground than the others. It was painted with dark brown. Not iron deposits. It was blood. Madara paused at the sight of it while his men carried on.

_A shrill scream escaped his throat as he struggled to run to his older brother. He was eight, eight and too young to be out there. The child's eyes stung, his vision changed. He saw the strange blonde woman standing in front of his brother smiling. And his brother, his DEAD brother. He shook. He was on the woman in an instant. Tearing at her hair as she shrieked. Her clansmen were occupied with the other Uchiha. Madara instinctively bit down on her ear, ripping it from her skin. The tear of flesh caused another scream and he was thrown off her, right into the rock. He turned to see his brother, his mouth hung open at an awkward angle and his eyes were partially closed. Madara's mouth was open, he could hear his own shallow breathing as he turned to stare wide-eyed at the woman angrily approaching him. She froze as their eyes met and let out a whimper as she fell to her knees, crumpling. _

His fists clenched and unclenched as he briskly walked past the rock, running his bare hand across the dark stain. His brother's blood. His older brother. His chest expanded with a painful breath. It took years, years of practice to contain the madness that had unleashed itself when Madara watched his loving brother fall.

The battlement came into view, Madara could sense his only remaining brother not far from him. He fell into step with the only kunoichi in their group. Madara did not glance at his men, he was soon leading the way, remembering his father's words '_Family is everything.'_

_'Nii-san?' A small Izuna had come softly padding, his small chubby hands outstretched in front of him. He found Madara in his room, reading something. 'Nii-san come, mother is calling you.' Madara glanced at his baby brother before dismissing him. 'I have to study Izuna.' But the little boy tugged on his arm, his eyes wide and anxious. Madara sighed, pushing himself up and letting his baby brother pull him out of his room. They introduced him to Izuna the same year their oldest brother had been killed. They were four years apart but Madara was scooped away by Tajima to a different compound to study war the same year Izuna was born. Madara had been four, chubby and sneaky. There was no doubt of his talent. Now as he glanced down at Izuna who had just turned six, he noticed the differences between them. He was thinner, weaker but smarter than most children. It made Madara's chest swell with pride._

_'Mother!' Izuna tumbled into the room to her mat. Madara waited a moment, giving his mother time to sit up but she did not stir. Izuna was by her, clutching her arm 'I called him like you said mother, you can wake up now!' He was smiling down at her and then to Madara. He walked slowly towards the bed, his voice catching in his throat '…Izuna..' The boy clung to his mother, giggling and repeating his brother's name like a mantra. It took one glance for Madara to determine that the woman was no longer there. She was dead. Her eyelids were blue, her mouth dry and purple. Her cheeks had sunken in and her beautiful skin was yellowed. Madara picked up his brother, pulling him into his chest as the little boy continued to giggle and then began to cry, tugging Madara's hair and calling his name as if he were somewhere far away._

The memory was fresh in his mind as he glanced down, he could see Madara leading the group to the entrance. Izuna signaled for them to open the gate. His mind wandered to the kunoichi-prisoner. She was in the basement, which was damp and cold. She would probably get sick. Izuna was at the gate in a flash, the first person to greet Madara as always.

As they strode together to the main compound, Izuna stole a glance. "How was the journey?" Madara remained silent, nodding to indicate it had been alright. "You remember the reason why we are here?" Izuna glanced at his brother again. Madara was still silent but then their eyes met and he responded "Of course. Where is the girl? Have her sent up." Izuna nodded, falling behind and calling orders to prison guard.

Madara was seated on a low stool, leaning over to warm his hands by the fire. The room was lit by the fireplace and shadows danced across the shelves and the low table. The teapot swayed on the table. Kumo was pushed into the room and it was pushed shut behind her. She eyed Madara warily. "You wanted me here?" He didn't move or reply. She closed her eyes and tried to suppress a shiver that shook through her. She felt a muscle in her leg spasm. Madara was up and facing her, snapping his fingers to get her attention. Their eyes met across the room.

"We must discuss something, Kumo."

She blinked at him, letting him continue.

"Do you remember those scrolls of kinjutsu you showed Misaki?" He picked up a dark scroll from the shelf, holding it between his long fingers. Kumo raised an eyebrow, "What kinjutsu?" His eyes narrowed, the shadows dancing behind him as he kept his back to the fire place. He moved to sit at the table, dropping the scroll onto it and pouring a hot, steaming liquid into his cup. Kumo still stood at the door, her eyes set on watching the steam as it rose and disappeared.

"Come. Sit." He beckoned, not looking up at her. She moved slowly, placing herself uncertainly across from him. Her hands were still cuffed. He continued. Even in this darkness, Kumo could see the lines under his eyes and the faint scars the trailed his forearms and knuckles. She followed the lines to the tips of his fingers, noting how delicate they looked. "Kumo, you and I both know that your clan's kinjutsu is something that could be very…advantageous to both of us." She glanced at the dark pools of his eyes. He carried on, finally looking up at her. He noted the thin ring around her right eye and felt slightly accomplished. "Being closer to the moon strengthens you, does it not?" She raised an eyebrow, saying nothing. "The kinjutsu I want you to learn is difficult but I believe you will be able to accomplish it." Their gaze never broke, "I need you to revive someone for me." If she hadn't been sitting she might have reeled backwards and crashed through the floorboards.

Her voice was loud and strained "I can't do such a-" He raised a hand, cutting her off. "I've been through the scrolls. It's possible." Her mouth parted slightly. "I am not giving you an option. I will leave by daybreak and you will spend your time here mastering the jutsu until I return."

She stared at him, angry, upset. Angry at _Misaki. _She wanted to feel furious but the cold had set into her bones and the warmth in this room goaded her to agree with whatever the man across from her said. He cocked his head to one side, raising an eyebrow as he brought the cup to his lips. She watched the steam rush to his skin, crawling over it, leaving it damp. Not once did their stare break away. Madara began to suspect she had zoned out, before he could bring her attention back to the present, she whispered "Night time is my time."

It was a sudden realization, the moons pull on her chakra, the way her eye was acting up. The childhood lullaby that women sang in husky voices, the dancing fire under the moonlight every year. The importance of the full moon. Madara noticed the silver in her eye quiver. "Kumo?"

She flinched, snapped out of her reverie, "Madara-sama!" He was looking at her quizzically, his hand moved closer to her side of the table as he leaned in her direction. "Are you okay Kumo?" He could see the sweat forming on her brow, it wasn't that hot. She was nervous. "Kumo?" She spoke up so suddenly he almost didn't understand what she was saying. "How can you trust me with this? I have avoided the kinjutsu for a long time, I may not be able to actually perform it." Madara leaned away, his voice resuming its serious tone. "I am not giving you the choice to fail, girl. Either you do or die." She stared down at her lap, turmoil breaking out onto her expression. "You may leave now." He gestured vaguely towards the door. She shot up and pulled the heavy door open, stumbling out into the cold night.

"Do you think she'll be able to do it?"

Madara poured himself some more tea. "Of course brother, have some faith in her."


	9. Ice Breaker

Hey guys! Thank you for the follows, your support means so much to the progress of this story! Enjoy this chapter, I shall update as soon as I can but the next 16 hours will be a bit busy for me.

Cheers!

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As time passed, things slowly began to shift. Despite being a prisoner, she became the head medic at the battlement, training those junior to her in skill. Those older in age even acknowledged her, even if she had been a traitor. The task Madara had assigned her weighed down on her. There was news of his father passing, two months ago they received a hawk carrying the message of him becoming the clan leader.

Soon enough, four months turned to five and then six. Madara was returning. Spring was ending.

The battlement was buzzing with anticipation. It had been half a year since she'd seen either of the Uchiha brothers. She had encountered several Senju, killed many but not once had she seen or sensed the Senju brothers. Perhaps that was why she was brought here. Kumo pulled her black coat over her shoulders, exiting the room. She narrowed her eyes, it was bright outside. She had spent two days in the room working on her kinjutsu. Her hair had become unkempt, trailing down her back and twisting up like vine. "Kumo-senpai! You must be at the front!" She looked over the railing, there was some snow gathering already. "I'll be right down."

To be honest, she was looking forward to seeing the Uchiha that exuded a singular vitality that dulled all that around him. He was the strongest, most feared warrior on the battlefield. Often a delirious Senju or other clan member would be found, traumatized and frightened at the sheer mention of his name. She had needed many bodies to practice the kinjutsu on.

Someone yelled, Uchiha scurried around to the gate, some stood above the gate looking out.

Kumo took a sharp breath, the chill in the air still hurt her lungs. She bolted down the stairs in a speed that surprised herself. Other Uchiha were rushing to the door to open it, exchanging tense but happy glances. Many of them had been here for as long as she had. There was a commander among them somewhere, but she had not bothered to familiarize herself with him.

The first man arrived bearing the clan crest upon a banner and he stuck the stick deep into the ground across the entrance gate. They were all lined up, awaiting Madara's arrival. He was not far behind, his armor donned and a giant battle fan on his back. The snow crunched under his feet as he entered. Something was obviously different about him. He stood taller, straighter, his hair was longer. His face was serious, lines more prominent beneath his eyes.

Everyone bowed, everyone except Kumo. She was staring at him and their eyes met over the lowered heads. The kunoichi next to her pulled her down and she gasped, bowing. She glanced at his toes as Izuna arrived immediately after, she knew it was him because of the way he hurried to stand next to his brother. Madara walked past the Uchiha, "Rise everyone."

He strode up the stairs, Izuna not far behind him. The soldiers rose silently, eyes following their new leader with pride. The gate was shut and the soldiers dispersed, getting back to the day's duties and chatting amiably with the newly arrived squadron. Kumo searched the crowd for a certain short haired man. She could not find him anyway and hung back from the group, eyes darting to the stairs Madara had just gone up. Over the railing, he peeked down at her. "Kumiko." Her head shot up, her eyes wide in surprise. Madara noticed the singular grey-white line around her right iris, _'It's so prominent now.' _

Kumo's mouth formed an 'o' as Madara gestured for her to come upstairs. _'How in Kami's name did he know?' _Nobody addressed her as such outside her birth-mother's house. She hurried to the steps, gathering her cloak above her ankles so she wouldn't trip.

Madara had pushed open the door, followed closely by his little brother. Both Uchihas exchanged glances as the scent of something foul hit them. Izuna pulled a lantern into the room, feeling bothered by the damp, smelly darkness in it. Madara stood at the door still, observing the room. An old work table had been pushed into the middle and a second one was pushed against the wall. He turned his attention to it, taking slow steps towards it. It was strewn with papers, ink, brushes. He ran his hand over the scrolls, reading bits and pieces. In the center of the clutter was a bowl of dried irises. Madara glanced at Izuna and they exchanged a sense of nostalgia. Izuna moved to seat himself on a chair in the corner. There was an olive green blanket thrown over it and it smelled faintly of sake. Madara was quick to catch the scent as his brother shifted the cloth. His foot knocked over a bottle on the floor and it rolled towards the empty fireplace, clinking like empty bottles do.

When Kumo reached the door to her workplace, she caught a rare view of the brothers staring amusedly at something on the floor. The light of the lantern danced in their eyes as the older brother grinned, turning to the girl at the door with a glimmer in his eyes.

"I didn't know you were a drunk." He purred. Kumo frowned, "That's just one bottle." She moved into the room, tossing the cloak onto the table in the center. His eyes followed her, he knew it would make her uncomfortable. She rubbed her hands nervously.

"Kumiko the room stinks of corpse and alcohol."

She froze, turning to him slowly. Her round face had become less plump, her cheek bones were starker and her complexion was pale. Her mouth turned in protest, "Don't address me with that name." Madara leaned against the cluttered table, picking up the bowl of irises, "But it is your name." Her eyes flashed. Izuna moved uncomfortably, throwing the blanket onto the ground. She glanced at him and their eyes met briefly. He had placed the lantern on the table and it cast shadows below his eyes and over his cheekbones. Kumo moved around the table, reaching for a pile on the work bench. She pulled out four scrolls and held them towards Madara. He raised an eyebrow, "What is this for?" His voice was curious and husky, the first sign of tiredness. "It's just reports on how the development of the kinjutsu has been, I'd like you to read it before I show you."

He nodded slowly, turning his head to Izuna. "_I trust you will read these yourself._" Kumo's voice rang in his ears, he narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't always have time to read leisurely." He was staring her down and she leaned away from the table instinctively, "Of course Madara-sama. But I think you should read it all the same, as soon as you can." She seemed to run out of breath by the end of her sentence, Madara wondered if he scared her. The thought of it irked him, he enjoyed the fieriness in her manner of addressing him.

"Nii-san, I have something I need to do." Izuna spoke up, pushing himself off the chair and moving silently to the door. He gave his brother a quick glance before pulling the heavy wood shut behind him. It creaked and protested, the final thud leading to eerie silence and a sudden hush of warmth in the breezeless room. Kumo moved away to the chair Izuna had occupied, picking up the blanket. It was soft under her cold fingertips.

"Kumiko, I have news for you." He was watching her, unbuckling the straps of his arm-plates. They clattered onto the empty table. She watched a miniscule chip of wood make its way into the air, shadow dancing. He half expected her to growl at him but she simply stared back. There were purple lines beneath her eyes. He exhaled. _This was going to be awkward. _

_"I've been betrothed to your sister."_


	10. Isis

So I ended up updating...

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_"I've been betrothed to your sister."_

Madara would have preferred a more aggressive reaction than the one she threw at him wholeheartedly. Her small mouth parted and then she rocked back in her chair, emitting the most alien sound to his ears. Laughter. Female laughter. He felt heat rush to his cheeks, his ears, his neck felt warm too. When she was done, she looked at him again and shook, spluttering something and then bursting into a fit of laughter. He could only stare at her, slightly surprised and displeased.

"She's ten years old!" Kumo half-said, half-shouted. She wiped a tear from her eye. Madara's expression darkened, he was trying not to get defensive. She could see it in the twitch of his eye and the way he fumbled with the strap of his chest plate. Madara felt exposed, he was rarely defensive in front of outsiders, almost never in fact.

"So what if she's ten years old? I won't take her while she's so young."

Kumo made a disgusted expression which was gone as soon as he saw it. "How old are you Madara-sama?" He grunted, turning his attention to the chest plate's strap. When he looked up at her again, she was still staring expectantly. "I've seen 18 years of this world." Kumo raised an eyebrow, "You're almost my age then… Kami, Madara she's my baby sister!"

Madara detected a hint of protest, when he observed her he realized she had become more slouched, more relaxed. He noted the lack of honorifics as she addressed him. She seemed so much more comfortable. He lowered his armor to the ground. She leaned back in her chair, grinning again. "Is it really appropriate for you to undress in my room _brother?_"

He growled, "I am no brother of yours."

"Oh but you are now, you're marrying my baby sister."

"You are enjoying this aren't you?"

His tone had changed. Her smile faded slightly, the corners of her lips turning down as she frowned. It was her thinking face, he supposed. "Why?" The question finally came, hanging in the air for a few seconds. He leaned against the table again, crossing his arms.

"Yatagarasu is dead."

She raised her eyebrows, her pupils dilating in surprise.

"Your father was asked to take over by the elders. My father suggested that he wed his daughter to me, so as to improve his…." He trailed off as Kumo's expression fell. She completed his sentence. "His position. Of course, how else would anyone forget one of his daughters is a traitor? Plug it up with a big burly Uchiha, that's how." She turned away from Madara, the light flickering across her face like the flame in her heart. He noticed. He always noticed when someone became depressed, her expressions were so similar to _that man's. _He felt like he could not leave her in such bad form.

"I also learned some very interesting stories from my father."

Kumo did not look up but he continued. "Like how I know your real name." She glanced at him then, her eyes narrowing like they did when she would look at him. He liked them when they were wide and excited. But right now, she looked furious and crestfallen. "Your mother was part Tsukinowa, part Senju." Kumo continued to stare at him, her eyes narrowed.

"When my grandfather was my age, he came across your grandmother during a battle. He said she was as beautiful as she was a worthy opponent." Kumo raised an eyebrow. "They became…allies of some sort. And she soon abandoned her clan to stand by his side as one of his spiders." Kumo was leaning forward slightly, her frown becoming apparent.

"She was sent to spy on your clan, the Tsukinowa and she created the first link between them and the Uchiha. However, she was sent back to her clan, the Senju, so that the Tsukinowa could resume a neutral stance. She must have been expecting your mother then because she was born there and my grandfather had a special envoy made so he could meet her." To Kumo, Madara looked very thoughtful as he spoke. Almost as if the story had some sort of moral she could not yet see.

"Your great-grandfather was the head of the clan and his youngest son was his successor; Hashirama Senju's grandfather." Kumo sat up straight, surprised. She had not the slightest clue that they were _related. _

"At the time, your great-grandfather was hoping for some sort of truce so he welcomed my grandfather. He suspected perhaps that they were, erm…" Madara paused, Kumo felt the word suspended and unspoken. _Lovers. _They both had thought it at the same time. Madara nodded and continued, skipping it entirely. "When my grandfather married, the elders forced him to choose a bride. They asked him to do it as soon as your grandmother was sent to the Tsukinowa. To spite him I supposed, your grandmother married your grandfather, who was Tsukinowa."

"When your mother gave birth to you, she named you after her mother, that same woman who had loved the Uchiha. I don't understand why she returned to the Senju clan with you though." He looked at her, her mouth hung open and she snapped it shut when their eyes met. Kumo felt discomfort stir in her heart. She had been taken away from her true mother, only allowed to see her when summer came. All because of a ridiculous family dispute. She loved her mother and the fierce air she carried. Though she was staring at Madara, she recalled a memory of her mother coddling her and Tobirama together, as though they were toddlers. The memory made her smile.

"Kumiko?" She was brought out of her reverie. "Eh?" She blinked at him. He shook his head. "Do you feel alright?" She nodded. "I need you to do something for me." She was paying attention to him now so he continued, "I'm taking you with me when we travel to the west battlement again. Fix yourself up." He gestured to her, she tilted her head in curiosity. "You keep yourself pent up in here and drink in your free time. Stop." She blinked like she did not understand, he felt the stirring of fury inside him. "Kumo are you listening to me? I said FIX yourself." Now he was leaning on the table that kept them apart, his palms pressed against it. His hair fell across his face. Kumo stared back at him silently, wondering what exactly he meant. She spoke then, her voice was quiet and meek. "I haven't looked at myself since I got here." He knew that though, he had messages reporting her odd behavior, like scrubbing her skin raw even in this cold or insisting on removing mirrors. His expression softened. He felt the urge to coil a strand of her earth toned hair around his finger. There was a madness about her. He treasured the moments it revealed itself to him, like thorny flower that was a risk to touch. He nodded to her, removing himself from her gaze and pulling the door open, he looked over his shoulder to address her again. "Please start sleeping in your designated quarters." With that he left, not closing the door. She was still sitting on the chair. Then she glanced at the strands of her that crept around her elbows and spilled onto her lap and the arm rests, like a curtain. Her skin felt dry and her lips were chapped.

Moments later, she was carrying the lantern out of the room to another set of stairs. Her coat was wrapped around her shoulders. The wind was moaning through the settlement, making lanterns shake and lights quiver. She climbed up the stairs to her quarters. It wasn't as if she never slept there, it was just rare that she did for more than one night at a time.

Pushing the door open, she struggled into it, fighting against the wind that was pushing her away. She fought against the heavy door to shut it, proceeding to light a candle. There was a mirror here somewhere, she bent down to check under her bed. Sure enough, the piece was there, a large rectangle. She pulled it out and propped it on the table across the room. She then sat and examined herself. Her features were more, how could she put it, womanly? Her cheekbones had sharpened and her lashes had become thicker. Her lips were painfully chapped and pink. She touched them with a finger. Her hair was too long, hanging from her scalp like a heavy curtain. She pulled a kunai from her pouch, flipping her hair over and gathering it in her hands. Taking a deep breath, she cut it just below her pinky. Flipping her hair back, she checked the mirror. Now it was just above her breasts, and it looked rough. She searched for a comb but found none in her quarters. Growling in irritation, she dunked her head in the basin, rinsing it thoroughly and reaching with her hands to comb out the tangles with her fingers. She washed her face too and scraped off the dry skin from her lips. The center of her bottom lip turned very red, a droplet of blood making its way. She licked it and pulled out an ointment for skin rashes. It was all she had and it would have to do. She applied it daintily, pulling off her haori and her sandals. She noticed the purple lines under her eyes and gasped. They looked like the result of too many drugs. She reeled in her mind, trying to figure out how to repair the damage. Sleep was one option, but her skin was sore under her eyes as well. She let her chakra heal some of the bruising but the purple only faded to a violent pink. She scowled.

Then her mind wandered to what it was all for. She sat back on her bed, staring at the table and the wall and the stupid window in the corner. Her chest ached and she brought her knees up to her chest, resting her forehead on them. She remembered seeing her mother sitting like this sometimes, when she felt upset. She felt a pang of dread and despair. _'What am I doing this for? What is my purpose now?' _The thought found its way into her mind and she felt the urge to turn it off. Her mind worked too quickly for her to cope with. A warm tear slid down her cheek to the tip of her nose and launched itself towards the ground. It was followed by many others. Soon she was lying on her side, curled up and sobbing into the fuzzy blanket. Her heart ached for her mother, her father. But most of all, her heart panged again, most of all she hurt for the man she desired most. She couldn't drown him anymore.

Through the wall, through many rooms, on the other end of the floor, Madara sat on his bed, his shirt thrown in one corner while his warmer clothing was strewn across the foot of his bed. His palms were together as he sat deep in thought. In thought of the future. _So many people have considered it over the years, _he pressed the bridge of his nose, _is a truce possible? _

Night was coming quicker as the cold approached. Tobirama sat outside his compound, his sandals lying beside him to keep him company. There was a cup of warm tea, home-brewed, by him. His usually aloof expression was becoming increasingly bothered. They hadn't found her anywhere, not even in the Hyuuga territory where she should have been kept prisoner.

"You shouldn't be awake so late brother." Hashirama took a seat next to him, stretching his legs. "Father's condition is worsening."

Tension hung in the air, Tobirama was feeling very conflicted. Hashirama understood, he read his younger brother's face easier than he let on. Tobirama spoke, his voice tinged with concern, "Can we not ask anyone of the Tsukinowa to help us?" The fact that they had the skill to heal just about anything had driven the two Senju to search for her harder. The clan had cut off the Senju entirely and she had become their only hope, like a distant star they prayed to as children.

"You know they have already denied us any assistance. I don't want them to know just how delicate his situation has become." Hashirama's tone was grim. Tobirama already knew this though, he only felt better saying the name, as if it would somehow heal all the ills in their clan. He had spent many nights turning over her name and her birth name in his mind, going over the way she always felt when she was close to him, when they sparred or when they had played as children. He felt a lump in his throat as he thought about the betrayed look in her eyes. He never intended on drowning her, he never wanted to be the one to end her life. They had sometimes met secretly, just to talk about their lives and how they would play out. He did not think she would ever slip away to the other side of the game, to the cursed Uchiha and she never implied that anything of the sort would happen.

The two brothers glanced at each other. Above them, the stars winked at each other, destiny was preparing itself to play another joke in the endless cycle of life.


	11. Replacement

A short chapter... My head feels woozy today

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Kumo had only been asleep for a few hours before she was woken up. Someone was banging on her door. A wave of nostalgia washed over her as she groaned. Her eyes felt peculiar and when she got up to open the door, the person on the other side found them just as peculiar as she did.

"Rise and shine, Kumo. We're going to spar today." She blinked sleepily at Izuna. He noticed the disheveled mess of hair had been reduced and the purple lines beneath her eyes had also been undone. But the lids of her eyes were swollen, just like when people cry too much. Izuna stood in front of her for a moment, expecting her to respond. Kumo only stood there and then slowly turned around and walked to her bed, crashing into it.

He peered into the room, curious. It was mostly empty and her bed looked like the untidiest part of it. She was curled up on it with her blanket strewn beneath her. Her sleeveless blouse revealed a lot more about her frame, her arms looked thin and unfit. There were a few scars around her elbows. Her pajamas rode up to her knees, revealing the wheatish skin that had never seen the light of day. Izuna wondered how it must feel to be a woman. Shamelessly, he strode in and nudged the girl with his foot. She simply rolled over. He frowned, "Kumo. Get up." He nudged her again and she groaned, her lips scrunching up in annoyance. Her eyes fluttered open and closed again.

Losing his patience, he kicked her side. Her eyes shot open and she sat up. He grinned.

The next few mornings were spent in the same routine. Pre-sunrise sparring with Izuna was a lot more fun than what Kumo had imagined, albeit tiring. She spent the afternoons napping or showing Madara the kinjutsus developments on old corpses that had been preserved in the cold. Sometimes in the mornings he would sit in on his little brother's sparring sessions, correcting Kumo's form when she needed it. His duties weighed heavily on his mind and when the day to change battlements approached, Madara began strategizing on how to drive the Senju further west. When he held council, he was sure to request Kumo's presence.

"I don't understand why your brother calls me to these boring meetings." She complained. Izuna glanced at her. "It's because your sister is too young for these things, it's her duty to sit in on these meetings and she's both far too dumb and far too childish." He returned his attention to shining his katana. "I am far too dumb and far too childish too." He scoffed in response, "Quiet the contrary actually." She smiled at him, "You flatter me far too much." Izuna's lips quirked as he continued focusing on his blade. Kumo leaned against the cold wall of the courtyard. Snow was beginning to cover the worn out brick floor and there was not a single plant in sight. She watched Izuna, comparing his appearance to Madara. He looked younger and paler than his older brother. The sort of pale that flushed easily, she imagined. He spoke up, knowing that she was silently observing him as she usually did.

"Do you mind filling in for your sister?"

The question weighed on her mind and she looked up at the grey sky, the peaks of surrounding mountains interrupting the view. _I can't say I mind, but I don't really know how I feel about this. _

"I guess I'm alright with it."

"You know he'd rather have you by his side than her."

"That is only because she's too young."

"Yes but there are differences between the two of you and I am sure, any day, Madara would have chosen you over her."

She shifted, wondering the depth of his words. _Chosen in what sense? _Her mind reeled to the Senju she had felt her heart flutter for once, now it only throbbed dully, like blood rushing to a wound. Izuna was watching her from the corner of his eyes, gauging her reaction. He found himself wondering just how far her understanding of his brother went and whether her fiery temper was a product of disregard for him or an understanding of what he needed. _A strong woman. _Izuna remembered his brother's answer, he had asked him what sort of wife he would have preferred. A strong woman could be any woman, one with morals, one with skill, one with power, one with charm. Kumiko Tsukinowa had only one of those qualities and that was skill. Izuna found her neither charming, nor morally upright. She was a spider through and through, it was her second nature.

He glanced at her, she was staring into the sky, expression both lost and fascinated. Now that she had tamed her appearance, she seemed almost pretty to Izuna. Her hair was the brown of fertile soil and it was echoed in her eyes. The ring around her right iris had resumed its calm silver colour. Izuna had observed it's stark whiteness when Kumo felt ill or tense. She was tall for a woman, standing at 5'6. She was slim and her eyes were wide in her face. He began to notice on his trips to wake her up in the morning, she was curvy. Underneath all the dark clothing was a real woman. He looked away, feeling his face warm up at the thought. He could not say he was attracted to her, no he would rather have said he admired her. She was a year older than him, he was still 16 and as she liked to say sometimes "a fresh youth".

Madara strode through the inner halls, glancing out the door that opened to the courtyard. He caught a glimpse of brown and took a few steps back to peak through the door. It was Kumiko and Izuna, they seemed preoccupied in being…lost. One was staring off into the sky while the other was staring intently at a recently polished blade. _If I had that kind of time. _He scoffed, turning to go into the courtyard. His appearance hadn't bothered them. Kumo's eyes were partially shut and she was close to dozing off.

"Stop wasting time."

Both of them snapped to attention, looking at each other first and then him. Izuna grinned cheekily, winking at the sleepy Kumo. She stood up, blinking away the tiredness in her eyes. Instead of sticking around to talk, she walked past him, elbows brushing as she headed to the stairwell. Madara had watched her go, turning to Izuna as he offered him a hand. He took it and stood up. The brothers exchanged a warm look, silent communication Kumo called it. She was watching them and as Izuna turned to show his brother the blade, she turned away to go up the stairs.


	12. Dreams

So I was listening to a bunch of stuff when I wrote this, by Crystal Castles. One is Pale Flesh, the other is Violent Dreams and the third is Mercenary. Somehow I feel like they fit the whole Izuna-Kumo-Madara thing. I need to work more on Madara and Izuna, if anyone can tell me how to improve please be unafraid in dropping suggestions, Im all ears!

Enjoy this chapter!

P.S I wonder how many of you will understand what happens at the end, what Madara's last line could be implying... :)

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_Drip….drip….drip_

_She stood up, heart beating rapidly. The steam encircled her form as she stared down at the water. The surface rippled and she saw herself staring back, frightened and distorted. Her heart beat harder as she leaned closer, her wet hair dripping onto her reflection, continuously shifting the image. There was a single candle illuminating the dark. She saw herself and then another woman, a woman with dark eyes and purple bruises beneath them, wild hair and a small bright mouth scowling. She began to laugh at Kumo, her voice like a roar or a rush of water._

Kumo gasped as she was pulled out of the hot spring. "What the fuck woman!" Someone was yelling into her ear. She coughed and spluttered, grabbing onto the person as it dragged her out of the pool. The cold began to set in and she shivered. She pinched herself hard, one, twice, thrice and then she was viciously pulling at her skin. "Kumo calm down, what the hell are you-" She looked up at him then. It was Izuna. He was staring back at her wide-eyed and frightened. "I followed you." She blinked at him confusedly. He took off his haori, wrapping it around her wet form. Her clothes clung to her skin and she felt heavy. She pressed her palms to her eyes.

Izuna had been wandering the hall, feeling uneasy. His brother had exhausted himself with planning their next moves over two days, he hadn't had a wink of sleep and now he was snoring away in his room. In the evening, Kumo had been behaving strange, like she wasn't aware of what was going on around her. While sparring, Izuna had hurt her in anger and she had not retaliated as she usually would have. She did not even attempt to deflect his attacks. When night fell, the premonitions in his heart grew and he was roaming the battlement, stepping silently over the creaky floorboards. That's when he came to his brother's corridor. Kumo's room was on the opposite end and her door was wide open.

It seemed that was the only hint he needed, he move quickly knowing she would not be in her room. The basin in her room had been thrown onto the floor and wet footsteps led out of the room to a hidden corridor that led to a hot spring. Her cloak had still been in her room. _Stupid girl. _Izuna would have been furious if he hadn't felt a pang of fear. He pushed the door open and sure enough, in the moonlit terrace, standing in a glimmering, steaming pool of water was Kumo. She was wearing her bedclothes, bending over and staring at something. Then she sank onto her knees and into the water. He waited, thinking her head would emerge but when it didn't he shot towards her, stepping into the pool and gathering her in his arms. He climbed out, pulling her up behind him. She was shivering and coughing and gasping. "What-" She coughed some more. "What did you pull me out for?" Her voice was cracking. He didn't respond, dragging her by the arm back into the battlement. Kumo began to laugh, still coughing and shivering. Izuna pushed her into the room, pulling the door shut behind him. He started a fire and the small room grew warmer.

"Why are you laughing?!" He couldn't control his volume. She blinked at him, surprised and laughed again, tiredly. "I'm laughing because I sleep walked and almost killed myself."

"How do you know you were sleep walking if you were asleep?"

"I dreamt of following my mom into the hot spring because she said I needed to be clean. And then I woke up with you pulling me out of the water."

Izuna eyed her, narrowing his gaze. She removed the now soaked haori, letting it drop onto the floor. His eyes followed her as she moved to the small trunk to pull out dry clothes. She wasn't letting him look at her face. Her door lurched open. "What's going on?"

Izuna turned to his brother, annoyed at his sudden appearance. "Go to sleep brother."

"But what was all that noise about? I heard you yell."

Kumo had turned around to face Madara. He eyed her from across the room, their eyes meeting in that weird way Izuna always noticed. Her clothes were soaked and Madara could see the form of her breasts underneath the wet, thick cloth.

"I drowned myself in my sleep. Almost."

"Eh?" He came into the room, easily closing it behind him. "Then take off those wet clothes and put on something dry." He was still staring at her, a small scowl becoming evident as he crossed his arms. Something shone in his eyes and Izuna cleared his throat. "Brother do you really think-" He was silenced, Kumo had turned her back to them, pulling off the wet top. Her back was scarred and there was ink on her right shoulder blade. A clan symbol, a crescent. But it had been obscured, probably with something hot. The skin over it was scarred and dark, the crescent looked distorted, like it was blocked out by clouds. She pulled a long dark green shirt over her. It reached her knees. She kicked off the wet pants she had been wearing, pealing it off her skin. She turned back to the brother, raising an eyebrow.

"The least you could have done is looked away."

Madara was leaning against the door, his face hidden in shadow. His voice sounded aggravated as he spoke. "What happened to your mark?"

"What do you think happened to it? I'm a traitor." She did not as much as glance his way as she mopped up the water from the basin.

Madara moved towards her, grabbing her wrist when she stood up. Izuna was left to watch the pair as they struggled against each other's intentions without so much as saying a word.

"Obscuring your mark means you've been removed from the clan." He tugged her wrist so that she was facing him fully. His voice was husky and low, a warning sign.

Her expression blanked then, which meant he was correct. He was holding her wrist with considerable pressure, Kumo knew it would leave a bruise if he held on a moment longer.

"That means you no longer have your clan name."

She stared back, grinding her teeth to control herself. "Let me go."

"Why did you not care to mention this to me?"

They were standing mere inches from each other. He taller and it hurt Kumo's pride to have to look up at him. Thankfully, she had grown a little more in her time here and she came up to his chin. She scoffed.

He released her wrist, pushing her away from him. She stumbled back, regaining her balance easily.

"I didn't think it would matter to you, I am a prisoner here by formality." He was turning away from her and he didn't glance back, making his way to the door. "Brother, explain to her that only idiots and _weaklings _try to kill themselves over something as pitiful as a lack of family." He was out then, slamming the door shut. Izuna released a sharp breath. _Kami, that tension. _Izuna had noted the way he had emphasized on 'weak'. Madara knew how to control Kumo.

Izuna turned to glance at her, she was standing with a very disturbed expression. Izuna knew Madara was still on the other side of the door, trying to battle his urge to fling Kumo out of the room. She moved so quickly then that Izuna thought he wouldn't be able to see her at all. She reached for the soaked clothes and tossed them angrily at the door. They hit the surface with a strange sort of 'splat'. Izuna wondered if that had surprised him, she was aggressive by nature and even more so when his brother did these little power struggles with her.

"Izuna please leave." She sounded tired. "Of course. Just don't try anything like that again, okay?" She shot him an aggravated look and he smiled, opening the door and stepping over the wet clothes. As he pulled it shut he looked down the hallway, Madara had gone. He pressed his temples and strode down to his own room. When he lay down, the exhaustion took him and he found himself remembering his hysterical mother when her oldest son had died. He remembered the way she shook and screamed and paled. That night she had sat and had dinner in the presence of her youngest child, holding him in her lap. He remembered a strange bottle being opened and its contents tipped into her tea and her whisperings of 'Don't tell Madara. Don't tell him okay?'

He felt a lump form in his throat and took a shaky deep breath, closing his eyes and collapsing into a heavy sleep.

When daylight broke out over the mountains, the soldiers were quick to notice the absence of Izuna and Madara, both of whom were a common sight in the mornings. Then there was their shadow, the woman they kept. Now she was their leader's sister-in-law and in some sense, family. One of the kunoichis was setting up fresh maps on a table in a room by the courtyard. She had felt uneasy like her comrades around the girl when they had first met. Kumo Tsukinowa was by no means intimidating but she was _strange. _She drank herself to sleep and spent days shut up in her room doing 'work' for Madara-sama. They had been surprised at her perseverance with her work and the imminent lack of will to escape or at least be hostile to her captors. But then again, they hadn't treated her like a prisoner. Izuna-sama's orders were to simply leave her be because her emotional state was punishment enough. The kunoichi pitied the girl until she saw her fight in one of the more dangerous attacks on the battlement. Half of the Uchiha had expected her to turn on them but she didn't. She cut through Senju ranks with a steaming vengeance that made the Uchiha believe she could trust them. Perhaps, the kunoichi supposed, she had begun to hate the Senju for the position she was in now. As the kunoichi worked, a shadow passed into the room. She looked up, surprised and bowed. "Good morning Madara-sama." He nodded in response, eyeing the maps. She could tell her was in a bad mood and shifted away, slinking out of the room. As she left, another woman entered. One that Madara would not bother to look up at. She closed the door behind her.

"Madara-sama."

He ignored her continuing tracing lines on the map thoughtfully, thinking about battle plans and strategies- "MADARA-SAMA." His head snapped up, anger radiating from him.

"Do not raise your voice with me." It was a simple order, so she subsided, at least he was paying attention to her. She moved to stand across the table, directly in front of him. She willed him to look at her, he always noticed the pleading look in her eyes even if she covered it with her scowl.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just-" He raised his hand, silencing her. He closed his eyes for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Kumiko, if you were clanless you should have come to me with that news."

"You were west at the time."

"I know." His voice rose slightly and he looked at her, their eyes meeting for the first time since their scuffle the previous night. Kumo felt something change in her, there was energy prickling her eyes, that's how much power he exuded, she couldn't help but drink some of it whenever they made some sort of interaction.

"Kumiko, I want you to become a more permanent part of this clan." Just as he expected, she blinked at him, confused.

"Pledge yourself and your life to me and my clan will accept you without question."

The statement hung between them awkwardly. "What do you mean by pledge?"

"There is a formal process. You will become my shadow, my silent left hand. I could have offered you this before had I known" He glanced at her and fell silent at the expression in her eyes, she was looking at him in a way that made his stomach churn with realization that he had skipped breakfast. It was the sort of hunger that ached. Something carnal. She leaned forward and he noted the small rupture in the middle of her lower lip. She never let it heal. "Are you sure I can do that?"

He nodded, "You can. Nobody questions my actions. And you are my sister-in-law," The relation seemed out of place to him though, he could not care less for what she was supposed to be to him. It was what he wanted her to be that mattered, "If I want you closer to me then it will not come across as a suspicious action." She bit her lip, trying to suppress the shy smile and he frowned.

"Stop that, you never let it heal."


	13. Drawing the Hunt

Enjoy ^~^

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It had been two days since they'd begun their journey back west. The group was of twenty soldiers, excluding the Uchiha brothers and the prisoner. A few Hyuuga were accompanying them and Kumo spent her resting time crouched near the fire with one of them, talking over scrolls.

Izuna noted his brother's aggravation, he had been avoiding Kumo since the trip had begun. Stress ran high, there had been the scent of Senju on the route they had been taking. Izuna wondered if Kumo had noticed, perhaps she was hiding it. '_How would she react if she met them?' _His brother's question had made him curious. Izuna had dutifully told Madara that she would either try to kill them or run. _'I doubt it.'_

It was nightfall and some men were resting while others sat in groups murmuring to each other. They had lit no fires and Kumo sat with Izuna in a pool of moonlight, explaining the content of one of the scrolls to him. Madara had tried to eavesdrop but her voice had shifted to a whisper when she saw him. He had been ignoring her after that. It _was _childish, Izuna had considered asking her to explain it to Madara as well but she was on a roll and he didn't want to interrupt.

"This isn't what niisan asked you to do though..." Izuna trailed off as she put a finger to her lip, her eyes wide. She was signaling him to remain silent, it was a secret request after all and she would detest it if the Hyuuga overheard. They had only just begun to sit in silence, her back against Izuna's as she pulled her knees to her chest, squinting at her gloved hands, when Madara joined them. He looked tired, dark lines around his eyes. Kumo looked over Izuna's shoulder and moved to sit so that she could speak to both.

"I am exhausted." The huskiness of his voice seemed to brush her eardrums pleasantly.

She scoffed then and Madara narrowed his eyes at her, she hasted to explain herself.

"You have dark lines beneath your eyes. Not as bad as mine though, a day's rest will do you good."

He raised an eyebrow at her, a small smirk playing at his lips. "You're a drunk, of course my eye-bags are better." She scowled at him and he grinned. "I don't have a day to rest anymore. People are defecting to the Senju, matters are worsening. This war is a headache." He pressed his temples as Izuna reached out to pat his arms.

"Come brother, a hunt will cheer you up won't it? I can sense one approaching."

They were looking at each other with the moonlight glinting in their onyx eyes. Kumo glanced nervously from one Uchiha to the other, controlling her voice as she spoke. "What do you mean?"

The ground erupted beneath them. Madara was already up, grinning and pulling out his war fan. Izuna unsheathed his katana. Kumo, having been caught by surprise, was thrown into a cluster of scraggly bushes, the little twigs scratching her face.

"What the fu-" There was more movement and she was thrown again, twisting through the air like a cloth doll. She heard herself scream. Her feet met something solid and she held her ground, rebounding into the dark. There was someone directly in front of her- Hashirama.

Her fist collided with his spine, she released a wave of chakra. He was thrown towards another fast-approaching silhouette, it was Madara. The two clashed, but Hashirama had been weakened and he struggled to keep up with the Uchiha. Kumo turned her attention away, ripping through a Senju behind her. Her fist collided with his chest and she pushed through it, warm liquid seeping through her glove as she tore her fist savagely from the body. Someone attacked her, a gush of water, she would have been pushed down again but she used the body as a platform, letting the current drag it down as she pounced towards her attacker.

His white hair glimmered as he moved, unsheathing his katana as she unsheathed hers. He noted the change in her, the wild eyes and the sharp cheekbones. Her lip was ruptured and her hand glimmered faintly. He narrowed his eyes as their blades crashed. He was pushed back as she came at him again. She wasn't just hacking angrily, he noted. She was calculating each step. She had been training, he realized. Unexpectedly, her foot was kicked out from under him, his ankle clicking painfully as he disbalanced. He lurched forward, seizing her hair. She cursed and headbutted him, he sidestepped just in time.

Their fighting had carried them further from Hashirama and Madara. Tobirama flashed behind her, yanking her hair and pulling her into his chest as his other arm wrapped around her throat. He squeezed, surprised at his own aggressiveness. She struggled and slowly weakened. He was releasing her then, ready to drop her body and end her story. But as he let her go, strong arms seized his elbows and he was thrown, she flipped him over her back and she was below him. There was a tag on him.

'_Shit she figured out my flash-step technique?!'_

At his expression, she laughed. Her voice was clear and strong. As her palm came to touch his spine, he froze.

"I have figured out more than just this, _Tobirama._"

He felt the cloth shift, the armour press into his skin as he was blown up into the air, chakra pulsating behind him, through him. That would do some tissue damage. He heard her hiss and yelp.

Kumo was about to drop herself onto a branch when she felt something sting her ankle. As she turned her head she was whipped towards the ground with such speed and strength that her head jerked forward and a pain tore through her neck. The drag down resulted in many scratches to the exposed skin of her face. She felt parts of her underclothing tear where the armor didn't cover it. Her breath was knocked out of her as a fist crashed through her chest plate. An unexpected scream tore through her as she felt the pain surge through her, pulling herself away from her attacker.

"Nobody hurts my brother," A voice hissed, gruff, angry. A fist collided with her face, splitting the skin on her cheekbone.

"Nobody!" He kept hitting her until she staggered, falling onto the cold, uneven ground. Her chest hurt, her face hurt and her neck was at an awkward angle. A foot came down on her stomach but was knocked off. She struggled to stand, pulling her body up and towards the two locked in battle, spitting blood as she limped towards them, focusing her chakra into her palms. She had taken enough from Hashirama as he had pummeled her. Two silvery rings glowed in the dark, Hashirama was temporarily distracted at the sight of them and Madara took the opportunity to kick his side, knocking him over. Kumo was suddenly looming over him, her palm in front of Hashirama. He shot back, putting some distance between them to reduce the approaching damage. The surrounding vegetation seemed to shiver as the crescent turned to a half moon that night. Slowly, they were pulled from their roots in slow motion. Everything was slowing, even the pain that pushed through Hashirama's front. As he reeled backwards, Tobirama pulled him out of the line of the attack. Hashirama caught a glimpse of the Tsukinowa, Madara standing behind her with a distinct look of surprise in his scarlet eyes.

They were retreating, she heard Izuna's signal- a single whistle. She grinned, staggering as her arm fell limply to her side. "Ah..hh." Her vision blurred as she collapsed, the wind blowing her wet face cold. She was staring into the moon, heaving breaths that scratched through her lungs. She had broken some ribs. She was counting her injuries when she was pulled up and thrown over a shoulder. Dark, soft hair met her face, tickling it and sticking where the blood had not dried. She closed her eyes, knowing she was safe.

She hadn't passed out but she much preferred being carried like this then staggering. The voice of her carrier seemed to rumble through the night air.

"How many casualties?"

"None Madara-sama!"

"How many of theirs done with?"

"Six!"

"Excellent. Bury them, we stay here tonight and heal. They won't be returning."


	14. Seeds Of Truth

Kumo lay on a patch of scraggly grass as one of her students bent over her. He was wiping the blood off her face with a damp cloth and she hissed in irritation as her cheek stung. There would be a violent looking bruise on her right palm where she'd overused her chakra manipulating abilities. Nothing would heal that. Angry, she sat up almost headbutting the young man as he turned to wipe her face with a fresh rag. She wordlessly took it from him and wiped her face savagely.

"There is no need to be so gentle." she whispered to him.

She struggled to stand, her body was sore. The young man silently nodded and moved away. Izuna was approaching her as she wobbled towards him. He held her elbows as she set her hands on his forearms, steadying herself.

He raised his eyebrow, they were the same height now.

"My brother is curious, as am I."

"About what?" Her throat hurt to talk and she reverted to her hoarse whisper. Izuna didn't reply and instead led her back to the spot she had been laying, pulling her by her arm. Confused, she staggered after him, trying to keep up.

They sat cross legged, facing each other, their knees touching. Izuna brought his fingers together in front of his face. "What is your relationship with Tobirama Senju?"

"There is nothing between us." She knew her reply had been too quick, sounded too defensive. Izuna sighed and closed his eyes.

"He does not defend himself against you and you don't attack him with your fullest strength."

"What makes you think so? I did attack him with my fullest strength."

"If either of you were fighting with the best of your abilities, one: everything here would be wet and two: because he wasn't defending himself, you would have fatally ruptured his spine if you wanted to."

He opened his eyes, staring blankly at her. Kumo would have looked away from him but his grey eyes held hers so surely, as if he knew all the truths of her life and all the information she had hidden from them.

"We were just acquaintances." She was still sounding defensive, there was a small ripple of pain in her chest. Her eyes shifted to Madara in the distance, he had removed his upper clothing and a woman was healing a deep gash on his shoulder. He was staring at the ground so intently, he could have burned through it with his gaze.

"Tell me the truth Kumo. I don't think this attack was meant to be just an attack. It was a rescue mission."

Kumo was blinking at him, the corners of her eyes twitched slightly.

"So you think they came here to rescue me?"

Her voice was sharp and cold, she tilted her head to one side. Anger swelled in her. A memory shuddered through her and she stiffened. "Izuna, give me a moment please."

He watched her curiously as she stood up, turning her back to him and the rest of the group behind him. She walked slowly, putting some distance between them. She had read the unspoken message in Izuna's eyes. _'Dont go too far'._

When she was sure they would not be able to see her, she loosened up. Her shoulders quivered and shook. Ghosts of memories seemed to surge through her, tricking her senses. Her skin prickled, she felt the lingering of someone's fingers on her lips, strong arms around her and she heard deep laughter, boyish and soft. There was a lot behind what they were now, there was faith lost between them. Kumo couldn't recall them ever sparring, he always refused her, since they were little. She remembered her mothers laughter and the way she would tell him he was meant to protect her little girl.

She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. Cold streaks moved down her cheeks, dripping onto the ground. The wind moaned through the terrain. She let out a sob, her chest hurt. Her eyes ached and her head felt like it was being pressed.

Todays' attack had been different hadn't it? There was a look in Tobirama's eyes when she had attacked him, something short of denial. She knew it was him who had torn Hashirama off of her while Madara had joined the chase. The brothers had probably struggled, one throwing off the other and lunging towards his rivaling Uchiha.

She realized slowly, with Hashirama's new-found aggression towards her, that something family-related must have happened. Perhaps, their father was ill. She felt another pang of sorrow in her chest. Tobirama was stiff and cold but he loved his family with a fire that she wished he would envelope her in. And he had, at some point. As she stood with her back to the Uchiha, she delved into a memory she had long sought to remove from her mind.

_News had reached two weeks ago of her mothers passing. Kumo was fourteen. There was an envoy sent to accompany her, the Senju believed she should be there for the funeral at least. Despite the Uchihas hovering presence in the settlement, her father had sent her, albeit a few days after the news had arrived. He respected his first wife and her daughters wish._

_The journey to the settlement was long and damp. It rained just as much as Kumo had wept. When they reached, she was taken by an elderly woman to the place where her mother had been buried. Kumo had sat there on the wet soil for hours. She let her fingers dig into the soil, each finger pressed into it. _

_She heard a low sob from the opposite grave and curiously, leaned to the right to have a look. There was a face she had not forgotten. Despite being fourteen, she was still small and stocky and she moved to the boy, wobbling on her feet. When their matching earthy eyes met, both children let out choked sobs. She hugged him and he hugged her and they cried. There was someone else there too who stood off to the side silently, tears moving down his cheeks unnoticed. He whispered to her that Itama had died, sobbing with his soft boyish voice onto her shoulder. Kumo glanced at the other boy and their eyes met._

_Tobirama gave her a crooked smile, lowering his head slightly and biting his lip. She moved away from Hashirama and he released her turning back to the grave. It seemed that she had just stared at the white haired boy silently for a long while until he choked out her name._

_"Kumiko-ch..chan."_

_He looked down, hiding his face as his shoulders shook harder. Kumo ran to close the space between them, putting her arms around his middle and holding him as tenderly as she knew. The three children had remained together, silent and mourning._

_The next few days, she had remained with them. And just as quickly as that, it was time for her to return home. They had said farewell, smiling to one another. At their age, it was considered inappropriate for them to do anything affectionate such as hug or hold hands. So she had smiled to them as warmly as she could. _

_Days after she had returned, she was patrolling the forest when she was hit by an acorn. Someone had thrown it at her and she turned angrily, checking for any trespassers around the border. There was nobody there. She walked in the direction it had come and sure enough, as she rounded a tree, she walked into a person. She yelled but a hand was covering her mouth. It was Tobirama, taller, his hair shaggier then she recalled. She grinned._

_That was how it had begun, they would sit and talk. Tobirama had perfected his sensing abilities to the point where he could conceal himself from anyone and sense people approaching from beyond the usual range. They became close, sharing private jokes and ideas. He told her that Hashirama had been seeing an Uchiha boy and that they had become friends but had to cut each other off. That was the first time she had heard of Madara._

_Even though they were alone, he had never done anything disrespectful. The most affection he had shown her was when he would trace her lips with his fingers gently or when he would pull her into him into a strong hug before he had to leave for longer durations. _

_When she became a spider to the Senju, he had argued with her and told her she was putting herself in a dangerous position. She hadn't understood then, blinded by her dream of a peaceful era. But he had been right all along, she was no longer anyone with a firm loyalty or a home or even a clan. _

Kumo shivered, her tears had halted. She wiped the remaining wetness from her face and turned to walk back. Izuna was still sitting there but he was looking up at his shirtless brother. Madaras shirt was scrunched in his hand and he looked a little angry. She paused, wondering if she should stay away for a while longer but Madaras head had snapped to her. She walked slowly, her stiff neck rebelling against the movement.

"Are you alright?" She asked, her eyes trailing the singular, star shaped scar that had been freshly formed on his shoulder. Madara was still just staring at her before he responded. "Are you alright?" there was nothing cold or mocking in his voice and her cheeks felt warm as her eyes moved unintentionally over his chest to his collarbone, roaming his strong neck and the tense lines of muscle and stopping on his split lip. When their eyes met, one of his eyebrows was raised and he shook his head in irritation, pulling his shirt over his head to her dismay. She lowered herself onto the ground, exchanging a cheeky glance with Izuna who had noticed the way she had just _checked out _his brother right _in_ _front of his face._

"How tactful." he smirked at her, she twisted her mouth into a scowl as Madara nudged him with his foot.

"What's tactful?" Izuna looked up at his brother who was staring down at him, curious and confused.

"Nothing niisan."

Madara grunted, crouching down with the group. He was examining a crimson cherry. He moved to put it in his mouth when Kumo's hand shot out to take it from him, crushing it in her gloved hand.

"Don't _eat that _you _fool_!"

"Why? I've had a few of them, they're fine."

She responded with wide eyes and her mouth formed big 'o'.

"You idiot! WHEN did you eat these? WITHOUT asking me first?"

Her voice was louder than she realized and he frowned.

"I was told they were safe."

"Madara WHEN did you eat them?"

"Just now."

"Put your finger in your mouth, now."

"What? Why?"

"You have to throw it up. RIGHT NOW."

His eyes widened, Kumo was on her knees and leaning towards him. He stood up and moved to a bush, uncertainly. She followed him, instructing him. He didn't understand what she meant by putting his finger in his mouth and when he did, she shoved his hand further into his mouth. Something happened then, his stomach reacted and he gagged, bending over to throw up. She moved away, to give him his space, knowing he wouldn't be able to do anything properly if she hovered over his shoulder. Izuna was standing too, peering curiously at her. She walked back to him.

"Is that the sort of berry that I think it is?"

She nodded silently. These didn't grow here, it was too cold.

"Your brother is so-"

"I'm right here Kumiko, tell me what the problem is."

She whipped around, he was standing very close to her and if she took another step, their noses would touch. She did not move back though, she felt frightened that someone had been feeding him these.

"Where did you find these berries?"

"The kunoichi that healed my shoulder had them in her apron. She said she found some in the bush-"

"These don't grow here!"

He was silenced. She continued, ranting angrily, her gestures becoming harsh.

"How can you not recognize a fruit of bane? HOW?" She was roaring and he felt a surge of anger. He moved his hands to seize her shoulders and she immediately silenced. Her hand moved to his belt, unsheathing the small dagger as she tore away from his grip.

"Do I have your permission?"

Madara simply nodded, a grin making its way to his face.

There was something else controlling her movement, something dark and possessive as she turned around and began striding across to the woman. Madara was following her.

The kunoichi, Kumo recalled seeing her heal Madara but she did not recall ever seeing her at the battlement. Had she arrived _with _Madara?

Her mind whirled and came to a halt as she met the kunoichis eyes. The other woman froze, taking a step back. The men around them who had been talking and wiping their blades, silenced. It was unusual for Kumiko to approach any of them, specially with a small blade in hand. Someone moved towards her but he caught Madaras gaze and the clan leader signalled for him to let her go.

The woman kept moving backwards, too scared to break out into a run.

"You were poisoning him." Kumiko's voice was low and still hoarse, not sounding as threatening as she should have. The kunoichis mouth hung open awkwardly as Kumiko came to a stop right in front of her.

There was an emotion surging through her, a single thought. She had to protect the people that wanted her. And there were very few of them left. She took a step closer.

"Who sent you?"

The kunoichi spluttered and choked out an estranged whisper.

"Th..there must b..be peace."

Kumo growled, moving faster than the kunoichi could react. She seized her by her hair, pulling back her head as she growled at her.

"Poisoning Madara-sama will not give you peace, fool."

Silently she drove the blade into the womans chest. In the darkness, the soldiers nor Madara could see what she had done until she dropped the body on the ground, wiping the blade on her glove. She turned back, walking past Madara to where Izuna stood, smiling strangely at her.


	15. Spring Ends

They had burned the body at sunrise and continued west. Cool wind licked their exposed skin, Kumo was glad that they had left the north behind. She would not have survived the winter.

At least they could feel the light of the sun here and Madara noted the healthy tan on Kumiko's skin. She had paled considerably in her months up north. As they proceeded west, they took a path that merged with the mountains and gave off to a steep slope and a view of the valley across which was the Tsukinowa settlement. Kumo barely looked at it, keeping her eyes set ahead of her or directly above, admiring the dark, cold mountains that loomed over them. Nobody had spoken since they had left the assassin behind and the murmurs that rose up among soldiers were a pleasant sound to Madara's ears. He valued solitude but silences sometimes made him uncomfortable. Particularly in this situation.

He hadn't expected Kumiko to _kill _the other girl. But she was a spider. What he shouldn't have expected was the anger that had possessed her. She had felt territorial about him and it pleased him somewhere deep within his angsty-self. He was walking behind her and Izuna, trailing behind the group to observe and gauge their reactions. His men had taken Kumiko's actions rather well, they looked surprised but none of them were hostile to her. Perhaps her position had improved in their eyes.

He must have been staring at the back of her head too hard because after a moment, she glanced over her shoulder and slowed down to walk with him.

"What are you thinking about?"

He eyed her, his face composed and serious. Izuna was talking animatedly to one of their men. His deep voice seemed to permeate the air around her and make it sizzle.

"I'm thinking about how you saved me from potential poisoning."

Kumiko smiled into the wind, watching Izuna make vague gestures. He was probably explaining something that he felt the others wouldn't understand. She herself was struck by how intelligent he was the first time he had explained the defensive strategies to her.

"You and Izuna have grown close."

The statement hung between them.

"Not exactly, I get along with him better than the others. That is all."

"Your sister had her first blood."

Now that sentence weighed between them. Kumo froze in place and he ended up walking ahead a few steps before he paused to look back. The look on her face would have startled him. It was a mix of vehemence and disappointment but he did not feel surprised because he had hoped she would respond in such a manner. He took two long strides before he was standing in front of her, close enough to feel her warm breath on his chin as she looked up at him silently.

"Why the face?"

She didn't reply, just shook her head and moved to go around him but he caught her wrists in place and tugged her back.

"Are you upset?"

She remained silent.

"Why are you upset, girl?"

She shot him a look and when she spoke, her voice cracked. "She is my little sister that is all."

Madara raised his eyebrows but his expression remained stoic and composed. "Don't be upset for her, she has said some _wonderful _things about you that I honestly cannot care to repeat."

She looked hurt, "But you care enough to have made note of them?" Her voice was a whisper. He wasn't gripping her wrists too hard but he increased the pressure when he heard the doubt in her voice.

He leaned into her, his nose mere inches from hers. She could feel the heat radiating from his forehead, tickling her skin but she did not bring her eyes up to meet his.

"I have faith in your character." He whispered.

"I am a traitor."

"Not anymore."

Stubbornly, she pulled away, taking a step back and glancing at him. She walked quickly up ahead but slow enough to hear him whisper. "Not to me."

She wanted to turn around but she carried on, rushing past the soldiers with her quick steps. She stopped next to Izuna, their hands brushed and he glanced at her. She felt a little better, a little less burdened. He remained silent, walking so that their shoulders brushed occasionally. She was lost in thought, he knew the vacant expression in her eyes.

'_This means they're going to marry' _She thought, her mind wandering to Madara and then to her own distraught lover. '_What do I feel for him now?' _She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, she acknowledged now that the Senju had been an infatuation. She had been exposed to so much and her heart felt less responsible for the relationship they once had. She felt relieved that she was not the one being married.

"Marriage is a burden that people like us don't need."

She turned to Izuna, surprised that he would say such a thing. He was smiling faintly and she cracked a broken smile in return.

The rest of the journey was spent in silence. Madara had joined his brother and Kumo trailed behind the two, watching them converse every few minutes. She remained silent, sometimes zoning out.

Sometimes Madara would look over his shoulder at her and she would snap out of her reverie, her heart would flutter faintly and he would look away. They continued until sundown and when the sky began to tinge a faint orange, Kumo turned to drink up the view of the valley. She did not know how to feel about it and decided that feeling nothing was better than something.

She made her way to where Izuna sat with his brother, silently placing herself next to him. Madara addressed her first.

"Stop looking so gloomy."

Izuna answered for her, teasingly "She isn't gloomy she's just contemplating the purpose of her life."

Kumo gave him a small smile, it was ironic, she _had _been contemplating the purpose of her life.

"Her purpose is to remain with us and serve us."

Madara's sentence caught her out of her momentary amusement. He wasn't looking at her, but had turned to signal something to one of the other Uchihas. Izuna was watching her though, trying to gauge her response. She was angry, she did not want to _serve, _not like a servant. No, she wanted to be more than that.

"You'll figure it out." Izuna gave her a gentle smile, his eyes were slightly lidded and he looked drowsy.

Madara had turned his attention back to them.

"She will join us on the council."

Izuna's head snaped to him, his eyes wide in surprise. Kumo stared from one brother to the other, not really understanding what he meant.

"So you mean I _have to sit in on more meetings?" _She hissed. Izuna raised his eyebrows, looking from his brother to Kumo and then back.

"Yes."

Kumo stood up, "Why are you giving me so much importance? I am _NOTHING."_

Madara did not respond to her with his usual luster and instead looked up at her coolly. "I'm doing this because I _want _to."

"Your wife hates me and you are only fuelling her abhorrence towards me. She is _my sister."_

"Let her, I do not care for her opinion of anyone and she has no power over who I keep _company _with. You should disregard her opinion, she is a child."

Kumo glared at him, she was about to speak again when Izuna reached up and gently took hold of her hand. He tugged her to sit down and she did, giving him a curious but angry look. He turned to Madara.

"She has a point, niisan. You cannot expect her to be okay with her baby sister hating her simply because she spends more time with you. It will spark unnecessary rivalry."

Madara's jaw was set stubbornly though, he was not going to change his mind. He shook his head slowly, eyeing his brother.

"Izuna, Kumiko will be part of the council. The elders have agreed and she will be _initiated_ into the family as an _Uchiha._"

Kumo gaped at him, "_What?!" _She and Izuna had snapped at the same time. Madara smirked up at the two.

"Surprised?"

Kumo was giving him the most bewildered look he'd seen.

"I'm going to be an _Uchiha?!"_


	16. Creeper

I hope you enjoy this chapter~ Remember that Bee is still young and foolish but she does have every reason to spark rivalry with her older sister. The next chapter gets a tad bit...sexier.

Cheers!

* * *

After the initial shock had died, the group had begun moving again. They had decided it would be better to travel through the night and Kumo was trailing behind Izuna, sometimes reaching a hand to his shoulder to steady herself on the rocky terrain.

The purpose of such a slow journey was to avoid exhaustion and make a thorough search of the surrounding area for ruffians and petty criminals. They had found none so far.

Before dawn, the violet-pink light of the sky grew stronger, bathing everything in an almost sinister hue. Kumo and Izuna were walking side by side while Madara led the group as usual. They were whispering to one another, much to the older brothers annoyance.

"So what exactly does he mean by 'initiate'?"

"Its a formal process which involves some signing and pledging... We used to use it for people of higher ranks that defected to our clan."

Kumo nodded slowly, her shoulder bumping into his as they followed the group. They had fallen behind and occasionally Madara would glance over his shoulder at them. Kumo avoided meeting his gaze, her eyes focused on the terrain and her feet. She had stubbed her toes a few times and her chest hurt when she inhaled.

"Izuna…" She trailed off, unconsciously reaching to catch part of his sleeve, her eyes still fixed on the ground. He turned his head to her, Kumo had made note of how his eyes seemed slightly lidded when he looked at her, she snuck a look at him.

"Do you think my little sister really does dislike me?"

He turned to look ahead of them, thinking for a moment. He always took his time to answer her questions, always thinking first.

"It's not something that can't be fixed." She glanced at Madara, feeling strange premonitions for their relationship.

Izuna continued, "You should have mentioned that letter to Madara."

"I didn't want to, Bee is a little girl who's been given the freedom to listen to gossip and there's no one to supervise her actions. I somehow doubt she even worded that message."

"No Kumiko, according to my brother she is learning the ways of court talk quickly. She's older than her actual age."

"That doesn't change that she's a little girl, she just turned 11."

Izuna sighed, deciding to remain silent. His eyes moved to his sleeve, she was holding part of the cloth between her thumb and her index finger, twisting it slightly.

"I don't understand why my brother wants you around him."

It was the truth, even Kumo did not understand. She shrugged and bit her lip, tugging off some dry skin.

"I think he's still interested in that idea of peace."

"What would that have to do with me?"

"Your relationship with the Senju will be…helpful."

So she had a _purpose _of some sort. She took a sharp breath, letting go of Izuna's sleeve. He smiled slightly at her. She remained silent after that, taking small glances at Madara.

She was always fascinated by his height and his wide shoulders. He exuded danger and safety all together. His features had become sharper, his jaw well defined. His hands were tough and she had seen his bare upper body enough times to flush simply at the memory of it. She turned her head to the open edge of the path. She glanced down, the slope was practically non-existent here. The path fell away straight down and all she could see was sharp rocks and some scraggly bits of green. Tugging off one of her gloves, she wriggled her fingers. Her slim fingers had a few nicks here and there, there was a blue circle that was turning a deep purple in the center of her palm. She poked it, stumbling on a loose rock and quickly moving away from the edge. She was far behind the rest now and she couldn't see Izuna or Madara. Some men looked back to check on her and when their eyes met, they simply nodded at her and turned back. She felt a little better, but only for a moment. Her mind wandered to her sister's letter to her. One of the soldiers had brought it with them when Madara had arrived as clan leader for the first time in the north battlement.

She had been happy to receive it, feeling a warmth in her heart that had dulled in the months away from her family. Izuna had given her a small smile when she had met his gaze, grinning happily. She had sat in the courtyard while he polished his blade, reading through the letter, the warmth fading away from her.

_Hello dear sister,_

_I trust you are doing well in the North. You were never used to the cold and I trust you are keeping your health. I am sure you have heard the good news of my engagement to Madara-kun, I am very excited. Suzume-baachan examined me and suspects I will have my first blood within a few months!_

_Before I run out of words, I would like to tell you that I have heard stories of you being close to my fiancé. I hear he has pardoned you and that you are treated well where you are. I hope that you do not intend to interfere between my relationship with him, I will be his wife and you will remain his sister-in-law. Nothing more. I trust you will respect my desire for you to keep and maintain your distance from him._

_You will find out more about our wedding soon enough._

_Your loving sister,_

_Bee T._

Kumo frowned, any sister would feel terrible if her sibling sent her a such a message. Besides that, her father hadn't written to her or conveyed any sort of greeting to her. It was like they had removed her from the equation of their now-three-member family. She had never imagined her sister would take such a negative perspective of her, especially at such a young age. She had wept when she read the letter and Izuna had spoken to her in a hushed voice, telling her that the girl probably felt insecure. Kumo realized now that he was probably right, she did spend more time with Madara and she was closer to his age as well.

There was a burst of confidence in her that seemed to grow as they came closer to their destination. In a matter of hours, they were entering the wide gates of the large west battlement. Within it was a fully functioning Uchiha compound. Kumo paused at the entrance, studying the large old gates and as she entered, she realized she'd be lost without the brothers in her sight. Hurrying, she caught up with the two, trailing them like a shadow. She felt people turn their gazes proudly to the two brothers and then she felt some trail onto her. Of course, a prisoner now loose and turned loyal to their clan- she doubted anyone really trusted her. Madara led them to a two storey building that housed the clan head, sliding open the door and walking in briskly. To Kumo's surprise, it was devoid of maids. She glanced around at the entrance, wondering if she should follow but Izuna had placed his hand on the small of her back and promptly pushed her in, sliding the door shut behind him.

Madara was about to climb up the stairs when he turned to the girl, staring down at her with his unusual dark eyes. The dark luster made Kumo shiver internally as he spoke.

"Rest for a while, you and I will spar at sundown."


	17. Flint

So maybe not as sexy as I had hoped cX

* * *

Kumo had been led to a room by a meek looking girl. Her room wasn't too huge but it wasn't small either. There was a suspicious connecting door to another room that she was too afraid to check.

The maid had left her there with another scroll in hand. She moved to sit on the mat, making herself comfortable. She had slipped off her sandals and her clothing, leaving her in just a vest and her pants. It wasn't too cold here and she was relieved.

Unravelling the scroll, she found it to be another odd message from her sister, another warning in tow of the things she would have to face if she defiled her brother-in-law. Kumo growled and tossed the scroll. It lodged itself into the sliding door's delicate surface. She lay down, moving so that she faced the window. A breeze was blowing and the rustle of leaves was the only sound she could hear before she fell into a deep sleep.

Madara had been reading through several reports and when the maid came in to light a candle, he refused her. Removing himself from his desk, he slipped out of the room silently to the small yard at the back of his house. As he stood on the porch, his mind wandered to the many times he had trained here with his brothers and his father, he recalled the way his mother would sit with a bowl of irises and string the flowers together as a reward for whoever did best. Madara had won it every single time. He sighed deeply, knowing Kumiko would never show up on time.

The ringing of metal aroused Kumo from her sleep in a state of panic. It took her a while to recall where she was and where _she should have been._ She rushed, pulling on a black shirt and leaving her armor behind. If they were sparring she assumed she wouldn't really need it. Stumbling through the dark corridors of the compound, she found a way to the back yard, sliding open the door to a bamboo-porch. She walked out slowly, carefully shutting the door behind her and dropped herself onto the first step off into the grass. Madara was instructing somebody, telling him how to correct this and that and she was relieved to find he wasn't wearing his armor either. Kumo frowned, remembering the second message from her sister. She would have spoken to Izuna about it but he had shut himself away in his room.

"You took your time." He was grinning at her, taking long strides to make his way across the grass. The person he had been instructing had been dismissed.

"I fell asleep, I'm tired."

He raised his eyebrows, offering her a hand. She took it and he pulled her onto her feet. "We've never sparred before Kumiko." He purred.

She shrugged, not feeling in the mood for this. She was angry and upset, angry at her sister and angry at Madara for putting her in such a compromised position.

They got into position, Kumo moving first to make a lazy strike. He side stepped, catching her by her elbow.

"Are you even paying attention?" He shoved her away and she stumbled, feeling her anger increase.

They continued throwing punches back and forth, he had stopped dodging her attacks, preferring to feel the anger she had started to vent into him. Soon the slow spar had been thrown into full swing as she knocked him over. He wouldn't have liked to admit that he'd been caught off guard but she _did _knock him off his feet. He had been turning to face her but she moved so quickly that he couldn't see her, he wasn't using his sharingan. She launched herself into his side, kneeing the back of his own knee, misbalancing him.

When he fell over, he seized her arm, throwing her to the ground next to him. Seething in anger, she rolled onto him, hammering his chest with her fists. He thought for a moment that he would have to throw her off but she wasn't really hurting him. She was sitting on his stomach and through the thin cloth of his shirt, he could feel the softness of her thighs. It distracted him.

"Kumiko."

She didn't respond, but she did stop hitting his chest, her own chest heaving. Madara stared up at her with dark curiosity, wondering what exactly she had been trying to do. She moved as if to get up, but he had her wrists in his hands, pulling her down again.

"Madara…sama, I should get off." She had looked away from him, heat rushing to her cheeks. He could feel the heat between her legs too and the hunger he had felt only a few days ago woke up again. He tugged her wrists and she tried to pull them away, avoiding looking at his face. He frowned at the honorific, preferring when she forgot to use it.

"Kumiko, will you look at me?"

She shook her head, pulling harder to move herself away. Madara let out a low growl, rolling them over so that she was beneath him and he was, to his delight, between her legs. She looked furious, her face was maroon and she had no choice but to meet his gaze with her seething one.

"Madara this is inappropriate." Her voice quivered, perhaps he had imagined that she had just shivered beneath his touch. He could tell she was just barely controlling her tone.

"Nothing I do is inappropriate."

"This will look odd to anyone passing by."

"There is nobody passing by, we're alone."

Kumo couldn't read his expression, to her his eyes seemed slightly glazed over. He looked incredibly stupid to her at the moment and she had to share the information, "You're an idiot."

Her voice was smug, she was smirking at him. He tilted his head slightly, regarding her with an alien look in his eyes, "Am I?"

His voice was just short of being the quietest she'd ever heard him. He released her wrists, pushing himself away to stand as she sat up, brushing the grass out of her messed up hair. He sat down next to her, one hand to his temple.

"I know your sister has been sending you weird messages."

She remained silent.

"I would stop her if I knew, but I haven't met her in-"

He became silent as she turned to stare at him. She raised an eyebrow, wondering whether he'd continue but he didn't. He was staring at her, his eyes moving to her lips and then to her throat and her collarbone.

"Madara, I'm sorry she's like this-"

He had leaned towards her, nudging her nose with his and planting his lips firmly on hers. She shivered and his hand reached to cup her face, the other knotting itself into her hair. She felt stiff, afraid, but his mouth was…soft and she gathered her courage, scooting closer to him. Their thighs brushed and her hand moved to rest on his. Her hands were softer than his calloused ones, her skin was always sore from scrubbing and it was sensitive. She shivered again, pressing her lips back against his, her other hand caught hold of his shirt just above his stomach, scrunching it up in her hands.

Something shifted within both of them, the gentleness ebbed away and they were attacking each other's lips, one crushing against the other. She felt her chapped skin give away to something softer. Her lips began to tingle, they were raw. She bit his lower lip and he growled, pushing her with the pressure of his kiss so she was leaning, almost lying down on the grass. Her elbows kept her up and she was sure he would undo that as well.

To her dismay, he pulled away from her and leaned his forehead against hers. Between then and when he stood up, there was only a five second gap. Kumo sat up again, blinking away the haziness that had occupied her mind as they kissed. He was looking down at her and offered her a hand. She took it, pulling herself up and he immediately let go. She eyed him silently, neither of them spoke.

"Madara-sama I-"

"Just Madara, when we're alone, please."

Surprised, she blinked at him and he gave her a wry smile, walking back to the door. She remained on the grass, staring after him before he spoke up.

"Come on, aren't you hungry? We should have dinner. I need you to write something for me afterwards."

He slid open the door, walking into the dimly lit hallway as Kumo hurried after him, stumbling over her own feet in her haste. Her heart was still hammering.

As Madara entered the dimly lit corridor he felt his heart wrenching and struggling to break free of his chest.


	18. 5 AM

Izuna, Madara and Kumo had sat together around the table, eating silently. Izuna had been explaining something about rebuilding the irrigation system around the fields just south of their location but Kumo wasn't listening. He was addressing Madara.

They had remained silent after their… 'moment' outside. It was unexpected and gave birth to this awkwardness between them. Just as much as it was wrong, Kumo hated to admit to herself that her sister's anger was rightfully directed at her.

After dinner, they had sat in the reading room, Izuna summarizing a report as Kumo wrote it down. Madara was reading through something else and occasionally conferring over it with his brother. Kumo felt singled out and lonely. What was that moment supposed to mean anyway?

As the candles flickered between them, she glanced up at the brothers just as they looked at her curiously, expecting her to speak. She remained silent and went back to her writing, dipping the brush in the ink pot and continuing. The weight of the silence was not just felt by her, Madara felt it between them like vacuum. He felt disappointed with himself, his self-control was beginning to linger, fading out like a small wick of a candle as his heart melted around it. Kumo finished, closing the ink bottle and placing the brush onto its spot silently. She excused herself, bowing to the two as she slipped silently from the room.

"Madara."

He glanced up at Izuna, one eyebrow raised.

"You shouldn't have done that."

"I am aware."

"Are you? Or do you just keep saying that to delude yourself?"

Izuna's icy tone made him put down the sheet he had been attending to. He crossed his arms and turned his full attention to his younger brother across the table.

"I don't see-"

"_Yes, _you _don't _see. Do you intend to drive her to the brink of madness and solitude because you _know _you can never marry her or let her birth your children. You _know _what will happen to them if you _do._"

Madara remained in silence, staring from his brother to the table and then closing his eyes.

"How can you be so ridiculously stupid brother?!"

"Hold on a minute, what's gotten into _you?_"

Both brothers were fuming and Madara had stood to glare down at Izuna. Izuna rose too, his eyes coming level with his brothers.

Izuna's voice remained collected, but there was something eerie under his words. "If you curse your wife with your infidelity no good will come of it for your family."

"How can you just know that?"

"Because _brother, _children need a sound family-"

"Fuck the sound family bullshit. We were _never _sound. Neither of us. I _know _what mother did. She didn't _care._"

"Exactly, look at you. Look at me, we're products of that chaos. Do you want our clan to have emotionally unstable psychos leading them for the next generation?"

Their voices weren't loud or rough. They were low and icy, cold to the bone.

Izuna spoke again, not giving his brother a chance to respond. "You have fallen in love with the _wrong _girl."

Madara was silent, staring his brother down. Neither of them blinked or looked away as he spoke. "So have you."

Izuna scoffed, "What nonsense brother."

"Is it nonsense?"

"It is, you _know _that."

"Then why do you not treat her the way you treat the other women?"

"I treat her just the same."

"You _do not._"

At that point, Kumo had been frozen outside the door. She swallowed a lump in her throat and when she heard the sound of something breaking, she bolted up the stairs. She stumbled in the dark, lighting a candle only when she was in her room with the door shut securely behind her.

Madara had smashed his hand into the shelf on the wall, breaking a part of it as scrolls tumbled onto the floor along with some pottery. Izuna did not as much as flinch.

"Brother, why do you never heed my words when I mean them?"

"I always listen to you Izuna."

"Then leave her be."

Madara leaned his head against the wall, exhaling. Izuna's tone had changed from icy to quiet. The kind of quiet that meant he was just barely controlling his temper. When Madara turned back around, Izuna had left, leaving the door open behind him. Madara heard him moving down the hall. He heard Kumo's footsteps upstairs, she had probably been freaked out by the sound. He pulled his fist from the shelf and rubbed his eyes. "Fuck this."

Kumo was pulling the scroll out of the strange connecting door when it was yanked out from the other side. Her breath hitched in her throat as she panicked. She bent to look through the hole and her brown eye met light gray ones. Izuna. She let out a low, raspy laugh, aware that the brothers had had some sort of confrontation because of her.

The door slid open with a start, the thin bamboo hitting the opposite side of the frame with a loud clack.

"Izuna-sama, we should probably talk right?"

He simply nodded, brushing past her and unravelling the scroll. He scanned the page quickly and tossed it into the waste basket. Kumo stood where she had been standing, her eyes following his form as he paced her room.  
"Izuna-"

"Kumiko, do you understand why that happened?"

She nodded slowly. He was staring at her with an intensity that was unusual for Izuna. It made her fidget nervously.

"That should not happen again."

She look away from him, guilty.

"Do you feel anything for him above lust?"

Her eyes shot to him, surprised and her anger flared.

"It was your brother who did it, not me. I feel nothing for him."

She was hissing at him, seething with that quick-growing fury that she kept hidden underneath her understanding.

"Is that so…"

Izuna was scrutinizing her. He had supposed that her awe for Madara had been limited only to his handsome looks, most women were drawn to both brothers for the same reason. Izuna wondered why Kumo had never looked at him the way she did his brother.

"I know you're lying, if you think you are in love with my brother then you should understand that you cannot threaten the delicate situation of his marriage by letting your own desire take reign."

His voice was gentle but it scared her, Izuna had an influence over her that was different from Madara's teasing and ordering. He was like a snake that coiled itself slowly around her mind and then began to crush her, cutting off her thoughts.

He was standing by her bed, his arms crossed. Just as they had all grown, Izuna had grown taller again, shooting over Kumo by another foot. While she stood at 5'7, he stood at 5'9.

"I apologize."

He nodded, closing his eyes and letting out a long drawn sigh.

"I'm sorry Kumiko, if I offended you with my words. I do not wish that there should be conflict within our family because my brother married the wrong woman."

She glanced up at him curiously, needing an explanation. Izuna dropped himself onto her bed, putting his hands behind his head as he spoke,

"If you had not been taken prisoner by us, he would not have realized he was marrying someone he couldn't possibly love."

"If I hadn't been such a fool, I would have been the one marrying him." She sounded defeated, Izuna was irked.

"But then you would not have understood him, your heart would belong to that Senju."

"Tobirama and I could never have married."

"That is true. You have cursed luck."

They both chuckled at that, the misfortune of her situation was amusing to both.

"Don't worry, you are not alone. Just remember to keep your distance from him. You know how difficult it will be to be close to him once your sister arrives. Better to not get attached physically."

Kumo nodded, understanding what he meant. He stood up and moved back to the partitioning door, "I am right next door, feel free to drop in but knock before."

Kumo nodded again, feeling a strange pain in her chest as he left. He slid the door shut behind him, gentler this time.

The next few days, Kumo hadn't seen Madara at all. Izuna had taken her with him south to where they grew the staple food of the compound. Currently, Izuna was walking with another girl, talking to her about something involving soil enrichment. Kumo trailed behind them, occasionally lagging behind. She found it amusing to watch Izuna converse with people. He was the more approachable brother. He was just as handsome as Madara and now he stood almost just as tall. He had the air of someone that everyone could confide in but he was oblivious, or rather what suited Izuna more, was that he chose to ignore the red cheeks and sparkling eyes of the women who spoke to him. Kumo reminded herself that Madara was the _oblivious _one.

The girl he was speaking to now was an Uchiha, she was beautiful as Uchiha women were but he seemed least interested in looking at her as she spoke. She wrung her hands in front of her, following him and talking quickly, trying to impress him with her knowledge of the fields. He glanced at her and then back towards the open plantation, running a hand through his hair. It was warm here and he had slipped off his usual navy blue haori. It was difficult to ignore his toned arms and the singular long scar that went from his left shoulder to his elbow. He glanced back at Kumo, his eyes lidded slightly as he whistled to her. She snapped out of her trail of thought, glancing back at him questioningly. He called back, "Keep up with us."

She nodded, picking up her step. The weather wasn't warm enough for her though, she felt the chill in the air and hugged her haori closer to her, taking a long shaky breath.

When sundown came, they had walked back to a group of small houses. They had dinner with the family in charge and then retired to the upstairs where a room had been prepared for Izuna. Kumiko received no special accommodation, save for a sleeping mat in the corner. Izuna frowned at it, remaining silent as Kumo slipped out of her dusty haori, sneezing.

"Don't sleep on that."

Before Kumo could speak he had slid open the door and called to the girl that had been guiding them around the fields. He returned with her carrying a blanket and a pillow, looking at Kumo apologetically. She arranged it on the mat as Izuna watched her from the door, sliding it shut as the girl left. Kumo gave him a quizzical glance.

"You didn't have to, I would've slept on that just fine."

"You were freezing outside, the night is colder. You need at least a blanket."

She nodded, agreeing with his point as she slipped off her sandals and unbound her hair. It tumbled over her back and spilled onto her shoulders, having grown longer since she had last cut it.

Izuna was not watching her, he had slipped under the covers, lying straight on his back and staring at the ceiling. That was how he usually slept. Kumo curled up on her mat, wrapping the blanket around her as she turned her head away from the Uchiha, staring at the wall beside her. Just like every night, her mind wandered to Madara and the way he had pressed his lips to hers. There had been a sense of urgency in him, as if he were holding onto her and she was slipping away. Now she realized what that urgency was. It was reality.

She sighed, rolling over to glance at Izuna. She could see his feet moving but they hid his face from view. She heard husky breathing and sat up to glance at him. There was barely any light in the room save for the silver moonlight that painted everything in a dull blue haze. She moved from her mat, crawling across the floor to Izuna. He was whispering in his sleep, something she could not understand. It sounded like nonsense. '_He must be dreaming.' _She thought, contemplating over whether she should wake him. She nudged his shoulder, whispering his name. "Izuna?" He shifted, murmuring some more. He had removed his shirt and his skin exuded warmth, he was running a fever. "Izuna." She said a little louder, gently placing a hand on his shoulder, shaking him. His eyes fluttered open and he looked like he had momentarily gone blind. "_Mother?" _Kumo's heart fluttered in fear, could he not see?

"Izuna, it's me Kumiko."

"Kumiko?"

"Izuna-sama, Kumiko Tsukinowa!" She whispered urgently. He was staring at the ceiling.

"Wh…Where are you? Why is it so dark?"

Kumo panicked then, placing her hands on his face and looming over him. "It's dark in the room Izuna-sama, I'm right here, next to you."

His hand reached up to grasp blindly at the air. She took his wrist and he moved his hand, intertwining his fingers with her.

"Kumiko-chan, why can I not see?"

"I'm not sure, let me light a candle."

As she moved to stand, he tugged her back and she felt a wave of nostalgia crash over her, her heart twisting in her chest.

"Forget the candle, do not leave me alone."

"I won't."

He hummed, his eyes looking blindly at the ceiling. His eyes were so gray, to Kumiko they looked like two full moons. She sat by him as he had insisted. She must have fallen asleep there.

When Izuna stirred some moments later, he felt a warm weight on his chest. He blinked slowly, opening his eyes to see the dim light of the moon fill the room. He sat up slightly, propping himself on his elbows as someone groaned. Surprised, he looked to his side to see Kumo move her head away from his body, turning to face the other side, lying on the wooden floor. He nudged her and she groaned again, the way she did when he woke her up in the mornings.

"Kumiko" he whispered into her ear and she sat up, frightened. He would have laughed but she was staring at him with relief. "Izuna! You're okay!" She was cupping his face, grinning and examining his eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

She reeled, confused. "Some time ago, you were having a nightmare and when I woke you up, you couldn't see anything…"

He raised an eyebrow, shrugging. Kumo moved away back to her mat, becoming silent and withdrawn again, crawling under the blanket and closing her eyes. She mumbled to him, "Please do not wake me."

He stood and dragged his mat next to hers, lying down with his back to her. Kumo stared at it, so close up she realized his shoulders were broader than hers and he looked less of a boy now than he had when they had met. She closed her eyes, exhaustion dancing around her mind and shutting it down as she reached a hand to grasp part of his shirt between her thumb and her index finger, twisting the cloth around her fingers as she drifted to sleep. He felt the slight tug on his shirt and felt content, falling into a deeper sleep than he had previously.


	19. Stay

The journey back to the Main Uchiha compound was short and silent. Kumo came to the conclusion that the Uchiha were not as hostile as they appeared, they seemed tender and gentle to each other. Sure there was politics but that existed everywhere. As they walked past one of the busier housing compounds, she watched a woman playing with her children, scooping one of them up and twirling. Kumo smiled faintly.

Izuna hadn't spoken much to her since they'd started for their way home and when they had arrived he had abandoned her for other work so she took this time to roam the settlement. It was much larger than her home. There were some stalls here and there for vegetables and food items, some men were shifting bags of wheat grain to a cart. Kumyko walked past them and one of the younger men glanced up at her, smiling. His hair spilled onto his forehead and he brushed it out of the way as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. She returned the smile, hurrying past him.

'_Does everyone look the same?' _She growled internally, keeping the pleasant look on her face as she wandered. A toddler was taking small, unsteady steps around his siblings who were cheering and laughing. He turned to Kumo and his soft small hands clung to her legs as she slowed down to walk around them. Surprised, she bent down and scooped up the child. He giggled and his siblings hooted, playing with marbles.

He was small and pudgy, his cheeks drooped down, weighed by abundant baby-fat. His eyes were huge and he had a button nose. His soft hair was disheveled, sticking up at the sides. He reached a curious finger and poked her mouth then pulled it to himself and giggled. An old woman emerged from the house outside which she stood, her steady gaze assessing the younger kunoichi. Kumo looked at her smiled. The elder spoke up,

"Ah, I see Madara's nephew takes a liking to you."

Kumo blinked quickly, turning her head to look at the baby in surprise. He copied her expression, looking bewildered as well. She couldn't help but laugh as she approached the woman who was now sitting on the steps, staring contentedly at the children.

The older woman held out her hands to the boy but he had put his fists in Kumo's hair and buried his face into her neck.

"He likes you just as much as him too."

Kumo flushed, her eyes darting to the woman and then away.

"Do not be ashamed, he has made me aware of your _situation._"

"I'm sorry baa-chan, I have not yet been-"

"I'm his grandmother."

Kumo's eyes widened. Unknown to her, the toddler in her arms was staring at her with the same amount of bewilderment. The grey-haired woman chuckled.

"This little boy in your arms is Yamato." The boy let out a gurgle, taking a clump of Kumo's hair into his mouth.

"You mentioned that he was Madara's nephew…" She looked curiously to the grandmother who seemed to be smiling through her eyes.

"Yes, he's their sister's child."

Kumo's mouth formed a small 'o' and Yamato promptly stuck his finger in. Kumo pulled her face away, one hand gently grasping the child's hand.

"I didn't know they had a sister."

"Yes she's older than them both. She was married when Madara was 8, he was not so close to her but he spends time with her children when he can."

Kumo glanced at the children playing with marbles, they all looked like spitting images of Izuna, even the two little girls.

"Come inside, all of you."

As the old woman turned to go inside, the little children stood up obediently, rushing after her. One of the girls caught hold of Kumo's arm and pulled her with them. The inside was cozy and warm. Someone was seated at the table and the children rushed to join him. Kumo froze, it was Madara.

He turned to look over his shoulder and when his gaze met hers, Yamato held out his arms to his uncle, squealing loudly. He stood and strode to the frozen kunoichi, taking the child from her arms and turning back to sit at the table. Kumo moved to excuse herself but a strong arm caught hers. It was the old woman.

"Stay child, have some tea with the family."

Just as sternly as she spoke, she moved stiffly to the table, placing the tray onto the table as she shooed the children away. Yamato stayed happily in his uncles lap, pulling locks of his hair around him like a scarf. Kumo giggled at him as she sat, avoiding looking at Madara directly.

Grandmother poured tea into three white ceramic cups, picking up her own and sipping it. Gingerly, Kumo reached to pick up hers as did Madara. Their fingers brushed.

"So Madara, what have you planned for the ceremony?"

Kumo was curious too, she wanted to know about the wedding.

"You know how the ceremony goes," He took a sip of his tea, Kumo's heart fluttered at his voice. "I won't do anything different."

His grandmother narrowed her eyes at him, smiling slyly. "How can you be so sure? Your self-control is lacking." She sipped her tea as Madara looked at her, something unreadable in his eyes. Kumo felt like she was missing out on something. Gathering her courage, she spoke up.

"How are Uchiha weddings done?"

The old woman blinked at her and then let out a pleasant laugh. Madara smiled into his cup, taking another sip of the steaming drink.

"We are talking about your induction into the clan."

Kumo's mouth formed another 'o' and in Madara's lap, Yamato copied her expression. Madara let out a loud laugh, it made Kumo flinch in surprised. "Look Kumiko, he's copying you."

She looked at the toddler but ultimately, her eyes turned to rest on Madara, noting the exhaustion in the lines beneath his eyes and the slight huskiness of his voice. He lifted his head to smile at the two women, raising an eyebrow at Kumo and winking. Hastily, she turned to her cup, taking a big sip and burning her tongue. She pressed it against the roof of her mouth as Grandmother eyed her, a strange smile on her face.

"Kumiko-chan, your ceremony will be tomorrow. I will be present as a witness as will Madara. It will involve you taking an oath and then the clan sygil will be inked onto your skin."

She nodded, having figured as much. They continued to drink in silence, Grandmother making conversation with both, trying to make them speak to each other.

_'Izuna must have warned both of them.' _She noted, observing the way Kumo stole glances of her grandson, while he stared at either the toddler, the tea or his grandmother. Soon after they were done, she dismissed them both, taking the toddler from Madara's arms as she ushered both of them out the door.

"I didn't know you had a sister." Kumo spoke up, eyeing Madara, wondering if he would remain silent.

"She died after giving birth to Yamato."

Kumo was silenced, guilt washing every inch of her body. The walk back was silent, with Kumo trailing behind Madara like the shadow she was meant to be.

When they reached his badly lit home, he went up the stairs without any inclination of speaking to the woman behind him. She sighed, following him slowly, heading to her own room. The connecting door was open but Izuna was not in sight. She let out a short exhale, removing her haori to drop down on the mat. She was tired, more so from the emotional turmoil. She groaned into her pillow, reminding herself that she would have to shower for whatever 'ceremony' she had to attend tomorrow.

Remembering that he had to speak to Kumiko about the next day, Madara retraced his steps to her door. He didn't want to knock and simply tugged the door, it slid open easily. It hadn't even been locked. Kumiko was sprawled on her mat, her hair strewn and her haori deposited callously on the floor by the door.

He stood there for a moment, noting the absence of personal belongings in the mostly empty room. Then he noted, much to his own chagrin, that the connecting door was thrown open and Izuna was nowhere in sight. He wondered if his little brother was still angry. He moved to his brother's room, noting woman's clothing in the mess of blankets and clothes on his bed. He wondered if it was Kumo's and immediately expelled the thought from his mind. Izuna would never sleep with her. He hoped not. Kumiko groaned, rolling over. The sound of her sheets rustling made him turn to her again. She looked tired, just as tired as he was. He took a sweeping glance of both rooms, not used to visiting other people's chambers, and went back out. He slid the door shut silently, moving quietly to his room.

Izuna had insisted someone keep an eye on Kumiko while she stayed in their house and he had given up his study to be turned into her bedroom. Madara wondered if it was because Izuna had recognized the stirrings of some form of affection between the two. Cursing his little brother's intelligence, Madara removed his clothing, sliding tiredly into the sheets. His room always smelt of sandal and it relaxed him. Soon he was deep into the realms of sleeping, turning over the possible events of the next day in his head.


	20. Left Wing Fundamentals

This chapter is specially for B.P! Moar is here :3

I keep writing all these sweaty, sexy Izuna moments while listening to Stay by MBLAQ. It echoes his sexiness. Trust meh ~.~

So this chapter is a little shift in the story and we'll be seeing a lot of Izuna/Kumiko. Let's see how this love-triangle nonsense works out with the brothers. Madara has to refrain from being a naughty boy and yes Izuna does sleep with other women, it suits him I feel. He's the psychotic, intelligent hottie that everyone can talk to. So why not. Poor Kumiko. Anyway things begin to change.

* * *

Izuna crouched by the edge of the ground that had caved in. He suspected that it had not been cemented properly and that water had been absorbed enough to weaken it and cause it to collapse. He ran a hand through his sweaty hair. Instead of hanging down in front of his face the way it usually did, it stuck up.

"This isn't going to work. Tch."

Misaki stood to his left, looking into the pothole curiously.

Not far from where they were at Madara's residence, Kumo was preparing for the 'ceremony'. When she had been handed an all-black kimono, she realized just how eerie this might be and she hoped Izuna would at least be there to give her his reassuring looks. She glanced into his room, walking shamelessly into it in just her underclothing. He hadn't come home since yesterday and the maid had come in to make his bed halfway through the night, complaining about his mess. She had woken up Kumo and asked her if certain underclothing belonged to her. Kumo flushed at the memory. She had yelled at the maid and thrown the clothes back onto Izunas bed, the meek maid had yelped and hastened out.

"Like I would ever leave my clothes so shamelessly on his bed." She growled at the thought, shaking her head as she went back to her room, finally sliding the connecting door shut. The hole was still there and it made her feel jittery. Tying the kimono on her own had been difficult, particularly with the sash but she managed it. Her hair had been put up in a tight bun and despite the feminineness of the clothing, she looked like a soldier. She chewed her lip nervously as she exited the house.

"Is everything ready?" Grandmother asked the maid who nodded silently. Madara was pacing the other room, they could hear him.

"Gods, why is he such a nervous fool?" The maids blinked in confusion at the old woman and she waved her hand to dismiss them, "Fools." Madara had come into her sight, and disappeared into a passage-way hidden from view.

She was not going to supervise, the ceremony was done secretly with only a certain amount of awareness made amongst the elders. Kumo was being inducted into the clan as an Uchiha but she was going to become part of the Left Wing. They were a secretive group of ninjas that functioned directly under the clan leader and took orders from nobody else. Grandmother smirked, rolling her shoulder as she remembered the singeing memory of how she was branded. Certain things about the family were maintained as secrets, even Madara didn't know she had been a spider. And, Grandmother had decided, it was better that he didn't know. She did not wish to hear or encourage any scandals between him and his sister-in-law.

As she exited the vicinity, she walked silently passed two black-clad men who did not as much as acknowledge her presence and neither she theirs. That was how it was, for them only the clan leader existed and for each leader, a new left wing was initiated. They were mostly Uchiha, Kumo was possibly the first since the time of Grandmother's own father-in-law.

"I will return later. Misaki make sure they remove this rubble now. We will rebuild it with a different method."

"Alright."

Izuna was in a hurry, the sun was just about to set. Misaki watched the young man go, the sheen of sweat reflecting the orange glow of sunset on his arms. He sighed, the Uchiha brothers were too busy.

When Kumo arrived at the temple, she had been directed to a back door of sorts into the second level. The stairs here went round the inside of a tower that was disconnected from the first floor entirely. There was a plain wooden door at the top that she pushed open slowly. The inside was lit up like most buildings, nowhere as dim and eerie as Madara's residence.

This floor was empty mostly and in the center of it was segregated area surrounded by sliding doors. She peeked into one. All the doors led to one room with a mat, a fireplace and Madara Uchiha sitting on one end. She walked in gingerly, unsure of herself. He nodded, gesturing to the mat.

_'What is up with this?'_

"Madara-sama-"

He raised a hand and cut her off, gesturing for her to remain silent. She smiled cheekily, feeling odd as she sat down. The moment she sat, the doors that had been open all slid shut, save for the one behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at it and a man clad entirely in black was standing there. Her heart skipped a beat in fright. Even his face was covered, his eyes hidden from view.

'_What the fuck-'_

"Kumiko, do you pledge your life and service to this clan's current leader?"

She nodded and the man behind her spoke up in a low voice that was vaguely familiar.

"Speak your answers."

"Y..Yes."

Madara nodded, not breaking their gaze.

"You will have to pledge yourself to me, Uchiha Madara, with the six witnesses of the Left Wing and their commander. Repeat the pledge."

She stared blankly at him, wondering what in God's name the pledge was. He raised an eyebrow, clearly becoming impatient. The man behind her was silent but she could feel his pressing presence like a heavy weight in the air, a little like Madara had been when she had first been in his presence.

"Kumiko?"

"I….I pledge my life and service to the current leader of this clan."

"Excellent, then we shall proceed."

The man behind her moved to crouch, whispering into her ear, "This will hurt Kumiko."

She turned first to him then back to Madara, feeling slightly frightened. The man placed a warm, gloved hand on her left shoulder. Kumiko jumped at the contact and he whispered something in a hushed voice. It was so familiar but in her panicked state, she could not put a finger on who he was.

Gently tugging her clothing, he pulled the collar all the way over her left shoulder, exposing her unscarred skin. Kumiko gasped, her hand moving to cover it up but the man caught it and pushed it away with a simple "No."

She gulped, looking over her shoulder but her face was forced straight to meet Madara's gaze. It was blank, unsympathetic and not very helpful. She wished Izuna were here.

The man crouched close to her, she could feel his knees pressing into her back as put one arm around her front, gripping her left shoulder.

"Hey what are you-"

Kumo was silenced. Stinging pain seared through her body, enticing a very womanly scream. Her body jolted, eyes blurring with tears. She couldn't tell when the poker had been pulled away because of the pain searing through her. She choked back sobs but couldn't handle the burn, breaking into a fit of tears and laughter ensuing from the pain. The man released her, his presence seeming to fade entirely. She doubled over, sobbing from the pain. This was the second time she had been branded and it felt just as bad as the first.

She lay on the ground of the strange room, her vision blurring with tears. Madara was still in his place, staring back at her collapsed form. Slowly her sobs subsided. She sat up, not daring to pull the cloth back over her shoulder in fear of the sting that would follow. She tried to cover her bare left shoulder with her hand, wiping her tears with the other. The doors that had slid shut were now open. She wondered where the six witnesses were and who that man behind her had been.

The only thought that clicked in her head was that he knew her right shoulder was already marked. '_Maybe Madara told him…' _She glanced up at him, clearing her throat as she stood shakily, keeping the kimono off her shoulder.

Madara stood up, she couldn't see his face clearly and she staggered, her head throbbing with pain as she collapsed, the darkness greeting her like an old friend.


	21. Spark

An Izuna-centric chapter :3 I was really feeling it...

* * *

Night had fallen quickly over the compound, a sign that winter was surely approaching. Izuna relieved himself from the burden of today's dust and sweat- it had been a warm day out in the fields and Izuna cursed his luck as he dunked under the warm water, rinsing his hair and cleansing his skin.

Part of the water storage had collapsed due to a construction error. He pulled himself out from under the water, pushing his hair back. The moon shone overhead, dancing on the surface. He relaxed in the pool, feeling slightly dissatisfied with himself. He would have to redraw the water storage concept. He decided that he'd ask Kumiko for help.

At the thought of her he felt something stir- anger. She was turning into a threat to Madara's position. Izuna did not doubt that there would be some rebellions against him, things like that tended to happen when a new leader came to power. A scandal would only be harmful. He leaned against the walls of the pool, staring at his arms as he scrubbed them.

"Stupid woman." He mumbled, climbing out of the pool and picking up his towel. He wrapped it around his torso, moving back into the house. The maid would be around somewhere, eyeing him 'secretly'. His brother was not home yet, there was a silence that hung around the house that sometimes disconcerted him. When he entered his room, he silently slid the door shut, dropping his towel in a corner as he pulled on his underclothing. The only reason he clothed himself while he was in his room was because of his new neighbor. He walked to the sliding door, peeking through the hole. To his surprise, she was sitting on her mat with her bare back to the door as a woman applied something to it. Izuna grinned, turning away to clothe himself fully. His black shirt hung loosely over his body and his pajamas felt freshly washed. To him it was a good feeling.

He moved to the connecting door, sliding it open and leaning against the door frame. Kumiko glanced over her shoulder at him, looking panicked. Her eyelids were swollen from pain, he assumed. He knew how much that poker hurt.

"Izuna-sama please don't come in."

Her voice was just above a whisper. He scoffed, remembering that women had a lower pain tolerance.

"Don't worry, I don't intend to. Don't close this door." He turned away when the maid glanced at him, moving to his table and pulling fresh parchment. His brother had been in that room not long ago, he could sense it. Anxiety overwhelmed him for a moment, worrying that his brother would do something while he was not keeping a close watch on the two. There was only one solution to this sort of thing. Bee had to arrive here soon.

When the maid had left, she shut the door with a soft click and Kumiko let out another sob, forgetting that Izuna was right next door. Out of curiosity, he treaded in silently, glancing at her bare back and the dark cloth that she was hugging to her front. He felt slightly guilty but the poker had done a good job on her shoulder.

The symbol was not exactly of the Uchiha clan, it was two dark tomoes, with a small uchiwa in the center.

"Kumiko."

She stiffened, glancing over him, hugging the cloth tighter.

"Please don't come in, I need to dress."

"Let the balm sit well first."

He did not stop approaching her and paused behind her. Her mattress was a little above the floor and his knees brushed her skin below her shoulder blades. She would have shivered if her skin didn't feel numb with shock.

He dropped himself next to her, smiling amiably. Her eyes widened in surprise and she growled, finally he enticed a more Kumo-like reaction.

"What the hell Izuna I'm kinda' naked."

"There's nothing you can hide from my eyes, they can see everything."

"Pervert!"

She swung her right hand to smack him gently across the face and he caught her wrist, grinning at her.

"Come now, there's nothing I haven't already seen on hundreds of other women."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow, her eyes darkening.

"Of course. And you have allowed me a more than fair view of yourself with the funny way you sleep."

Her cheeks darkened, she growled again "Silence Izuna-sama."

He growled back, his boyish laughter echoing in the empty room.

"It hurts a lot huh?"

Kumiko nodded, shifting uncomfortably, hugging the Kimono to her front harder. He was leaning against the wall by her mat, his feet stretched out behind her. She had to turn her head to look at him and she had to admit, all of her felt very stiff.

"Your grandmother told me they would use ink. What is this 'left wing' anyway?"

He blinked at her, frowning at her lack of knowledge. "They are a group of elite nin that serve the clan leader, in this case, my brother."

She nodded, staring down at her body and then shyly at him. He had this way of watching her that made her unsure of what he was _looking _at. She could never tell if he was staring at the wall behind her or at her face.

"The person who did the... thing… He knew that he had to mark my left shoulder."

"Ah, did he now?"

She nodded to him, glancing curiously at him. He seemed to be staring at the other side of the room.

"Your brother must have told him, it was embarrassing when he pulled down the collar."

Izuna's gaze shifted to her, a wry smile gracing his handsome face.

"I told you there's nothing about you I haven't seen."

Kumiko became rigid, her mouth parting in surprise as her eyebrows scrunched together.

"It was _you_?!"

He smiled, his eyes were lidded in that peculiar manner he had.

"Do you think my brother would let another man touch you?" He leaned forward slightly, giving her a quizzical look.

She remained silent, leaning away from him slightly.

"I have a mark like yours, it'll stop hurting in a day or two and will feel sore for days if you keep sleeping on it."

She was still staring at him, a frown making its way onto her face. He chuckled, "I did try to make sure I did it as painlessly as possible."

"How can something as _hot _as that be painless?!"

There was irritation in her tone, he was reminded of the way she had laughed and cried.

"Look." He leaned away, his hands moving to the edges of his shirt as he pulled it off. Kumiko frowned and turned her face the other way. "Put it back on Izuna."

He moved closer to her, turning so that his back pressed against her arm. She turned to look at him when his skin made contact with hers and her eyes met a mark on his left shoulder. She stared at it, the tomoes and the uchiwa.

"We have the same mark?"

He looked over his shoulder at her, moving away slightly as he spoke, "Yup. Us and the six others."

"Who are they?"

He shrugged in response, not prepared to give that information to her. He stood up, his shirt in hand.

"I suggest you sleep without anything covering your back and lie on your stomach. The more cold air hits your skin the less you'll feel the sting. Keep your hair tied up."

She nodded, speaking up as he moved to the connecting door, "If I have to do that, please close the connecting door."

He didn't respond, just walked to his room and let the door slide shut behind him. Kumiko sighed in relief, not used to Izuna being so in-her-face. It felt a little overwhelming.

Her mind wandered as she moved to lie down on her stomach, scrunching the pillow beneath her so that her chest did not hurt.

'_How could I have missed it? Of course it was Izuna.' _There could have been no other explanation for how he knew which shoulder to mark and what words to whisper to her to distract her. His hushed voice filled her ears like a ghost and she smiled, turning her face to stare at the connecting door. His presence was as comforting as it was overwhelming. She was trying her best to expel thoughts of Madara from her mind. She wondered if he had brought her back after she had collapsed.

The door slid open again, Izuna wandered in still partially clothed and rummaged through a drawer in the lone shelf in her room. He pulled out a scroll and silently moved back to his room. This time he did not shut the door and Kumo groaned, burying her face in her pillow and waiting for sleep to visit her. Her shoulder had been stinging still and Izunas appearance had been a temporary distraction. She found herself wishing for Madara's hands, cupping her face, holding her body, kissing her tenderly. She shivered and smacked her face against the pillow. Closing her eyes and forcing herself to think of nothing but the cold draft in the room.


	22. Closer

Fear not, I shan't burn myself out. I have plot bunnies all waiting to be dished out when I'm on a roll with my writing which is why I sometimes publish more than one chapter a day!

More Madara :D

Enjoy!

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The next day, Kumiko departed hastily from Madara's residence. She was given a navy-blue haori to wear over her usual black pants and shirt and she was told to keep off her armor by the maid that had woken her up before dawn. Her heart thrummed in her chest, as if it were vibrating with each beat. Madara had requested for her presence.

She mentally smacked herself, correcting her frivolous excitement. She was his left hand now, she was supposed to accompany him to meetings and all that '_nonsense.' _She groaned. The Uchiha Temple was not far from here but she felt the weight of the journey and wished to go back to her room.

"Hello?" She called into the hallway, stepping in silently and searching for Madara's chakra. Sure enough, he was directly above her. She hurried to the steps, pausing to bow to two elders descending together, she moved past them, up the rickety wooden steps. The sound of her clogs on the wood made her heart jump. Glancing around the upstairs, she moved to a door, knocking twice.

"Come in Kumiko, you're late enough."

Flustered and embarrassed, she quickly slipped into the room, bowing once to greet the clan leader. He was alone, staring at a map pinned up on the wall.

"Your sister should have arrived today, I don't know why she's not here yet."

He was looking at her now, gauging her reaction to the news. She stared back blankly, noting his scrutinizing expression. The way he was studying her made her suspicious and she moved behind him first to glance at the map and then to lean against the wall on the other side.

"Maybe they got delayed a day."

"Hmm, that is not possible. If they don't reach here by noon we will have to send a _search party._ Would you like to be on it?"

He had his back to her but he could feel her frown in the tone of her voice.

"No thanks."

He glanced over his shoulder and she noted again, the strange dark look in his eyes. He pressed his palms to his eyes then massaged his temples. Kumiko blinked curiously at him, unable to look away as he moved back to his desk.

"How is your shoulder?"

"It stings, quite a bit."

He hummed, picking up his own haori from the chair and dropping it onto the table. She eyed it and then looked back at Madara just as he spoke up again.

"I have to meet with the elders," He cleared his throat, "Izuna will be absent, you have to fill in his place."

"What is the meeting about?"

"A possible peace negotiation."

Kumiko visibly stiffened, moving off the wall and walking slowly to his desk. She put her hands on the edges, leaning down to catch his eyes again, demanding an explanation.

"We have too many men defecting to the Senju, the only solution that makes sense to _me _is that we stop fighting and shake hands. No matter how wealthy any feudal lord is, they won't be able to pay us enough to kill each other if we're both on the same side. Peace has value now, where there is war there is always the opportunity for a better form of peace."

She blinked at him surprised, as he put his palms together, staring back at the girl.

"But the elders will never agree…" Her voice was curiously soft, husky almost, probably because of the pain her body was shouldering. Madara nodded, his eyes moving down to her lips as she looked away for a moment.

"These wise elders believe we should fight harder to kill the traitors as well."

Kumiko dropped herself onto a chair, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"A lot of bullshit the elders make me do makes no sense."

"How will you convince them?" She was staring at her gloved hands, yanking off one to stare at her palm. The skin was still a dark purple.

"I can't, I will have to create a situation where they have no choice."

She raised an eyebrow, looking up from her hand as a plain smile made itself evident on his face.

"How can you just create a situation?"

"The same way my clan 'created' their allegiance with yours."

It dawned on her then, the meaning in his words. Her mouth formed a small 'o' and she drummed the fingers of her ungloved hand on his desk, nodding slowly. She felt the ghost of her mistrust flutter as the memory of those scarlet eyes played in her head.

"So you mean… you will orchestrate a situation where peace is the only solution?"

He gave her a sinister smile, running a hand through his hair as he stared up at the ceiling, "Indeed. I have already begun."

A premonition she had felt a few days before suddenly felt very real, she scrunched her eyebrows together, standing up as Misaki entered the room. She hadn't seen him in a long time. She bowed, smiling amiably. He grinned back at her, exchanging looks with Madara. It was that same silent communication they had, it irked her.

"The elders have arrived, Madara-sama."

He stood up, nodding to his commander as he beckoned for Kumiko to follow. Misaki was out and down the stairs in a blink as they went to a separate room on the same floor. There the low tables had been arranged in a square. Madara seated himself at one end, Kumiko sitting on his right, where Izuna was meant to be.

There was a murmur of greeting all around the room. Kumiko could make out just barely, the wrinkled faces of the elders, their silvering hair and quivering mustaches. One of the sported a long, wispy white beard that looked like Lamb's wool.

The first voice to speak up was sharp and accusatory, Kumiko cringed.

"Madara, we have lost ten more men. They defected yesterday, accompanied by the white-haired Senju."

There were hushed voices as Madara nodded. His expression was not blank but it was not readable. Stoic rather, with a stern gaze that looked like it would turn violent in less than a second.

"Yet you insist that we decrease our pressure on their territorial borders. Explain the purpose."

Madara nodded, his eyes moving across the faces of the elders, he was looking for something. Kumiko recognized that calculating expression on his face, catching it before it diminished. When he spoke up his voice seemed to fill the room, brushing her eardrums with pleasure. She kept her gaze low, lest someone notice her expressions.

"If we keep pushing our forces, more men will defect. Just as you choose to ignore the fact that the clan is growing _tired _of fighting, I am ignoring your persistence in paying small groups to defect to our clan."

There were more hushed whispers, the woman gasped at the accusation, but Madara pressed on.

"It is damaging to the Uchiha reputation and it is _childish _my _lady_. I have made my decision firm. We will no longer push against the Senju settlements just as they are not pushing ours-"

Someone interrupted him, Kumiko's eyes darted to the man, studying his curious face and wrinkled eyes. He looked fairly _senile_.

"My dear boy, if we continue to lose our men we will lose our power."

Kumiko praised Madara's patience, he kept his tone steady. She could feel the anger emanating from him, it was making the air around her heavy.

"We will lose power if we run after aliens to come and _join _our ranks. The fighting is to come to an end soon. The Senju may be our rivals but where both clans are concerned, we have _exhausted _our resources and we can no longer continue fighting each other."

Silence hung in the air.

"Now, we are done here. The council is dismissed."

There was murmuring as Madara stood, glancing only once at Kumiko who followed, shadowing him out of the room. As the door shut behind them, the elders became louder, the sound of slow feet filling the room.

He went back to his quarters. As he slid the door open, there was a messenger standing in the middle of the room. Kumiko judged by the lack of movement in his back that he was not surprised and glanced over his shoulder at the other man. He fidgeted, moving to give the parchment to Madara as he bowed. Madara took it, moving into the room to check something on his desk as Kumiko exchanged a curious look with the messenger. Madara slammed a drawer and he jumped, scurrying out of the room. Kumiko slid the door shut as he left.

"Read this." He tossed the rolled parchment at her, "Out loud."

She nodded, unravelling it. It was Misaki's writing.

'_Remnants of infantry found north, 30 km from your location. No survivors. Bodies brought back.'_

Her voice quivered at the end, remembering the corpses littering the northern mountains. Madara was staring intently at her. His mouth was set, his eyes thoughtful. Kumiko had a hard time understanding his facial expressions, he was becoming undecipherable. He leaned against his desk, arms crossed in front of him.

"What do you make of this?"

She shrugged, "A weakened infantry attacked for supplies?"

His gaze was smoldering, he shook his head. "No. Think, look at the direction." He gestured with his head to the map on the wall. She turned to look at it, frowning as her fingers moved north of the little red 'x' that marked their location.

"30 kilometers?" Her hand stopped on a certain point and she shook her head, these were mountains.

A voice spoke up behind her, "No," She heard him move. He was behind her then, his chest brushing her back as one hand grasped her elbow and the other moved to the hand she had placed on the map. He was whispering into her ear now, "You're too far gone. Look here." He grasped her wrist, tugging her hand south of the mountains to a point between the plains and the mountains.

"This. Do you recognize this?"

He had turned his face towards her, his breath tickling her cheeks. She was stiff, distracted by his touch. She struggled to think clearly, her eyes constantly shifting to his scarred, warm hands. His hand slipped from her elbow to her waist, nudging her.

"It's… It's in the direction of the valley?"

"Very good."


	23. Public Relations

Madara felt his stomach tighten as he shifted to nudge her cheek with his nose. Kumiko's breath was shallow, from him being so close and from the prospect of losing a family member. She turned her face towards him, their noses brushing. He was leaning over her, only two inches taller than her. She looked slightly frightened, slightly nervous. He had power over her, she was his shadow now. All he had to do was lean a little closer.

She could feel him loosen his control over his chakra. He kept most of it suppressed and it weighed her down, making her feel sluggish. Her heart was hammering. She was afraid.

She cleared her throat and he blinked, surprised. He glanced down at her before releasing his hold on her, moving back to where he had been standing, now with his back to her. Just as she released a shaky breath, the door slid open. She hadn't sensed anyone approaching with Madara drugging her senses, she felt a little hazy. Her eye throbbed. She covered it with her hand reflexively. Sometimes it felt like it would pop out of her skull and she half expected that she should catch it in her hand before it fell out. She moved a little away from the door as Izuna stepped in, his hair hanging loosely around his shoulders.

He was wearing a haori similar to his brother's and as he spoke, his eyes wandered from Kumiko to Madara and then to the map. He did not miss the glazed look in the girl's eyes.

"Niisan, you must come quickly. There are some people that would like to confront you."

Madara turned, looking bemused. "Confront? I like your choice of words. What's the matter with them?" He moved to follow Izuna, Kumiko falling into step behind them.

"They are accusing you of blocking the trade route to the vale."

"How can one clan with such similar genes have as many idiots as geniuses?"

"A balanced amount of recessive traits."

Kumiko let out a snort, finally moving to walk by Madara. "Do you think perhaps that elder you accused took some hasty steps?"

Madara nodded, glancing to the female with another amused smile. "Of course she has been doing this for quiet some time. She will not be defamed without defaming me. Such is the wrath of women."

The three moved down the stairs to the entrance. Kumiko realized they were in a different wing from where she had entered. Here the entrance was a large pillared opening with no doors. The floor had a giant mosaic, skillfully made and intricate. She felt strange walking on it.

The wind came in stronger, the sky dampened with clouds. As they descended the steps, some men turned to bow to Madara as he passed, his hair whipping behind him. Instinctively, Kumiko's hand went to the back of her waist where she'd holstered a small blade. She doubted Madara would need any sort of protection. She mimicked the way he and Izuna walked, shoulders back, head up. She felt silly but empowered next to these two. Curious eyes regarded the three, some people leaning to others to whisper.

Gossip was not unknown to Kumiko, she kept track of who was saying what since she'd arrived. It was one of the things Izuna had said one must know. She had become one of the better known members of the otherwise secretive Left Wing. As far as Izuna was concerned, nobody knew or suspected he was part of it. He had a point, why would Madara leave any dirty work to his beloved little brother? '_Because he's a cunning little devil.' _The thought was immediately pushed aside as she made out a group of men standing by a cart, arguing angrily with one of the soldiers she had seen around the temple. Izuna pointed them out and they seemed to stiffen at the sight of the three. Well, two. She doubted anyone would be afraid of her.

"Madara-sama!" The soldier called, bowing. The men followed, immediately standing upright, a concerned look in their eyes as they regarded their leader.

"What seems to be the problem?" Madara was looking over their shoulder at the empty cart with a raised eyebrow. Kumiko peaked at their faces, remembering them as the men she had encountered earlier this week, unloading sacks.

"Madara-sama it has been a week and we haven't been able to move our carts out of this compound to the vale. The road has been blocked and we need to trade this for wheat."

The older man spoke, he looked humble but sharp. The kind of man that could be considered a buttered knife. Kumiko narrowed her eyes at him.

"Do you understand why such action is being taken?"

The men exchanged glances, confused. Madara spoke again, raising his eyebrows. "So you're telling me I've blocked the roads to starve my people."

The man who had spoken looked alarmed, shaking his hands defensively. "No Madara-sama that is not what I was implying! I just meant that-"

"Perhaps it would do better for you to have a stronger argument then what you have just presented."

The man stared at him dumbfounded when one of the younger men spoke up, "Madara-sama there was a blockade down that road and they asked us to pull back our carts. They were Uchiha and all Uchiha follow your orders. We are not accusing you, we want an answer."

Madara glanced at Izuna, his eyebrows still raised. He looked vaguely surprised and mildly indifferent. "Kumiko, please go on ahead and see what commotion there is. Take these men with you."

He turned back, Izuna glancing at Kumiko and then following his brother. Madara seemed to be striding back, Kumiko wondered if he was angry. When she turned her attention to the group of men, they were looking at her with a look of insecurity. She raised an eyebrow, giving them a pointed look.

The older man smiled apologetically, hastily apologizing to her.

"We… We apologize, please follow us!"

'_What the hell.' _She silently fell into step with them, Madara's voice ringing in her ears. What was she supposed to do if there was a blockade? She obviously couldn't just kill everyone.

As she walked, she felt a pair of eyes on her and glanced to her right. Her eyes met a pair of curious ones. A younger a child. A boy? No, a girl. Definitely a younger girl.

"A..Ah! Sorry!" She immediately turned away, hiding behind the men that were following the older man. Kumiko stared curiously at the group, speaking up for the first time.

"Are you all related?"

The older man fumbled with his words, the younger ones remaining very silent and very rigid.

"Y..Yes! These are my youngest sons and this little one is my oldest sons child. His first-born son."

Kumiko narrowed her eyes at the old man, making him glance at his feet in fear. '_Why on earth are they so frightened? I'm pretty sure that child is a girl.' _She turned to the younger men, choosing to let the bit about the child go.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

They nodded, all staring at their feet. The little girl peaked at her from behind her uncles, smiling at her. Kumiko smiled back. The walk was silent and quick. It took them thirty minutes to reach the blockage point. It was just a group of mangy looking Uchihas lounging by the road.

They sat up and hurled threats to the men and then they seemed to freeze. Kumiko pushed ahead of them, keeping her stare stern and her face stoic.

"Eh? You brought your wife to fight us? Come on then, we can make better use of her!"

Raising an eyebrow, she stepped closer. One of the men laughed and sat up, when his eyes met hers he stiffened, his mouth hanging open.

"K… Kumiko-senpai!"

She scowled, more men moved out from behind the trees, curiously peering at the senior being addressed. Some of them laughed at the appearance of the woman, others nudged each other warningly.

"What is going here?"

They exchanged glances with each other and the man that had hurled insults stepped up to respond. "Madara-sama has ordered us personally to keep people from crossing this road."

"Oh? And when did you receive such an order?"

The man seemed to hesitate, "This morning."

"This morning Madara-sama was busy with the Council. And you have been hanging around here for a week I hear."

The man, no the _boy_ stared at her dumbfounded.

"Tell me, how much were you paid to do this by the old hag?"

The men exchanged anxious glances, clenching their fists defensively. As far as Kumiko was concerned, they were not soldiers, not even men. They were just gruff teenagers, inexperienced in the field of fighting. Possibly just farmhands. She stepped up to the man speaking up for the small group and they all seemed to tense. She grabbed his collar, bending slightly to make eye contact.

"Answer my question."

He looked into her eyes, panicking as his gaze shifted immediately to her right eye. The silvery ring around her iris was frightening to people who hadn't seen it before.

"She said she would reward us with gold! That we could each start our own trade! She would-"

Kumiko let him go, shoving him slightly. He stumbled back as she looked at each of their faces, letting her chakra loose. They would not be able to handle her power, even though she was nowhere near their clan leader in skill, these ruffians were nowhere near her in strength.

She snapped, shouting orders in a loud clear voice.

"If you want me to forget your faces, move out of here and tell your Lady to fuck off. If I see any of you anywhere, I will not hesitate to free you of your limbs."

One of the men stepped up boldly, walking close enough for him to be at an arm's length. He sneered at her, "Your threats are empty, woman!"

Reacting with a cool expression as she had practiced, she grasped the man's wrist, giving him a smile, "Don't speak so insolently." With a little bit of strength and chakra, she crushed the bone of his wrist. His eyes widened and he let out a scream, falling back where his comrades caught hold of him, turning to her fearfully.

"Move!" She barked furiously, they immediately huddled together, running back towards the compounds. She felt irritated and hungry, turning back to the group she had arrived with. They were standing together staring at her, slightly awed.

"Th… Thank you my lady!" The older man bowed. Kumiko flinched, correcting him immediately,

"Please, just Kumiko is fine."

They all nodded and the little girl grinned at her, tugging on her uncle's arm consciously. Kumiko winked at her as she led the group back. Even though she felt accomplished, she doubted that any of this had been done by the council member. No, her mind began ticking, it was a distraction Izuna had devised to get her out of the picture for a moment. Why else would he call out Madara to handle something so petty?

"I love how you drag me out there to do these 'public appearances'."

Izuna grinned at his brother, retorting with amusement "People need to see you when times are delicate and they need to trust Kumiko- it was an exercise for her too. She will be the lady in waiting for your sister as well as your occasional left hand."

Madara frowned, correcting his brother "You mean _occasional _lady in waiting and very permanent left hand."

There was a knock at the door and Madara had just turned to it when it slipped open, Misaki stepping in.

"You called Madara-sama?"

"Yes, I have an assignment for you. Take Kumiko."

Madara had turned back to reading a parchment on his desk, not elaborating on the assignment. Misaki glanced questioningly at Izuna, who shrugged. Misaki nodded, stepping out, making his way to the hidden quarters of the temple where his assignment would be waiting.

He wondered why Madara never spoke of Left Wing assignments in front of Izuna, '_He must want to keep his little brother out of the dirty business' _He sighed. Izuna had always seemed like the sheltered child but Misaki was aware that Izuna was no innocent. Putting war business aside, the younger man kept tabs on people, pulling strings and bringing political disputes where they were necessary and creating perfect situations to strengthen his brother's position. As he climbed the tower, he recalled the last initiation. Kumiko. He couldn't have imagined that she would join his side, become one of his comrades. She was the last initiate into the Left Wing and a junior to the other six. She was also the only member he knew.

This was because each time a member was initiated, only the ones initiated prior to them knew their identities. For example, the head of the Left Wing's identity was known only by Madara and the second member's real identity was known by the first and the clan leader. So essentially, the first initiate and Madara knew everybody's true identities and the previous initiates all knew Kumiko's and she knew none.

Misaki had done plenty assignments with the other members but hadn't the slightest clue who they were. Sometimes he didn't even know if he was with the first initiate or some other member.

He often wondered who the first was and as he slipped into the hidden corridor, his mind wandered to the possibility of it being Madara's degenerate brother-in-law. He expelled the thought from his mind, Madara would never appoint such a man among his seven most trusted killers. He thrust his hands into his pockets as he eyed the piece of yellow parchment. He would have to burn it after he was done and as he left the tower, the parchment turned to ash and then to nothing.


	24. Dawn

I'm not sure, this chapter is a little... *blushes*

Could you readers drop me some suggestions on which pairing to go with? I feel like Izuna would make a more interesting partner. . .

Enjoy!

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Kumiko had returned to the Temple, curiously pausing outside Madara's door. The room felt like it was empty but there was a candle lit inside. She slid the door open an inch, peeking in. In the dim light there was a man dressed in all-black, with his face hidden, just like the one at her "initiation".

He turned as she opened and nodded. She crept in, silently shutting the door behind her. The man held something out to her, a black mask with a hood of sorts. She took it, staring at it for a moment. He thrust a katana into her hand as well and moved to the window. His voice was rough, muffled and vaguely familiar.

"Put it on and remove the haori. Hurry."

He was gone in a flash and she hurried after him, leaving her haori on Madara's desk, pulling on the mask. It obscured her vision for a moment but her eyes adjusted. When she caught up with her comrade, he moved to travel through the shadows and she followed silently. Izuna had told her enough about these sort of 'assignments'. He had also mentioned not to disclose to anyone that he was a part of the Left Wing and that she was not to mention to anyone by name, even if she recognized them. She was to be referred to as 'Hachi' since she was eighth. But her comrade here did not call her by anything, he did not even disclose the assignment to her. She would not have trusted to follow this man if Izuna hadn't warned her that she would be taken on blind assignments by others before she could perform her duties alone.

Most of the compound was asleep but there were still people wandering the place, occasionally a commander or a group of soldiers would pass, either fully equipped or in informal clothing. There were no children in sight at this time and the lanterns danced madly in the harsh wind. Her comrade held up a fist, signaling her to stop. She crouched in shadow, following his gaze.

'_Breaking into a house?' _She recognized it, it was one of the bigger residences, possibly one of the elder's. The gears of her mind began to move as she put together the possibility of an _assassination. _Her comrade moved again, quickly and silently. She slipped through the shadows after him. There were some soldiers on guard at the front of but one of them was sipping a cup of tea leisurely while the other was staring off into the inky sky. Of course, they did not take the front door. Her comrade moved to the ceiling, hanging over the side to peer at the windows. There seemed to be three people in the vicinity which meant the target lived alone. He gestured to Kumiko and she quietly climbed onto the side, using her arms to hold onto the overhead ledge as she swung silently into the window. The corridor was dark and her comrade was close behind her. He bumped into her, both of them stumbling onto the ground, cussing. He pinched her thigh and she hissed, bouncing onto her feet.

They couldn't leave any traces of chakra behind as far as Izuna had told her. She followed her comrade into the main bedroom. Their target lay on a silk-draped bed, clutching a katana to her body. Kumiko immediately recognized her, it was Lady Chio. The council woman.

She was shivering out of fear and she held up the blade with a shaky hand as her comrade stepped towards the bed, leaving Kumiko to stand behind him at the door. He pulled off his mask but she could only see the back of his head. There was a momentary surge of chakra and the elders own eyes turned scarlet. Kumiko immediately understood what he was going to do and what her purpose was. She stood at the door, absorbing the chakra around her as it was spent. The woman quivered, her white hair tumbling down in wisps as she turned her blade towards her and drove it into her stomach, collapsing onto the dark silken sheets.

Kumiko remained silent, continuing to absorb the chakra in the room until a little while after her comrade had pulled his mask back on. When they were sure there was not a trace of his chakra left, they departed. Leaving the same way they came. Kumiko had recognized her comrade as soon as she caught whiff of his chakra. Misaki.

However she remained silent as they parted ways. She had suspected it was him when he pinched her thigh, a habit of his when he wanted to discipline her. She remained hidden in shadow until she reached Madara's residence, using her bedroom window to enter. She moved to light a candle, tugging off her mask. Out of habit, her eyes darted around the room and she yanked off her shirt, diving towards the basin. Her knees scraped slightly against the wooden floor boards as she washed her hands, avoiding her reflection in the mirror Izuna had insisted on leaving there.

Just as before, she washed her hands until the skin turned pink. The only difference this time was that the guilt that had always accompanied her rituals was gone. When she was done, she sat back on her ankles, tugging the senbon that kept her bun together. Her hair spilled out onto her back, stinging the mark on her left shoulder. She hissed, whipping it up into a loose knot.

The connecting door was shut and she could hear the rustle of sheets on the other side. Sighing, she moved to pick up the shirt she had deposited in the middle of the floor, ignoring the soft gasps and moans she could hear. It was irritating, especially when she was tired. But tonight she felt slightly more disturbed.

She sat down on her bed, tossing the shirt into another corner as she tugged off her clogs. Her sister was possibly dead. Where were the bodies? Her heart gave a painful thrum and her shoulder stung as she pulled off the vest she had been wearing, leaving her in her underclothing. She kicked off her pants, tossing them into another corner. She sat still on the mat, burying her face in her hands as she shuddered. As much as the darkest corners of her heart wanted her baby sister out of the way, her being dead was a prospect that frightened Kumiko. To top off her anxiety, images of the shuddering old woman kept flashing in her mind as she had struggled against Misaki's sharingan, giving in and becoming his puppet. It was a smart method, to make her commit suicide and Kumiko's presence had made that possible. That meant Misaki knew it was her. She pinched the bridge of her nose, he was one of the witnesses at her initiation so obviously he'd know her. Kumiko was glad she was able to absorb the chakra and leave no traces behind.

It would be unquestionable once her death was discovered. Judging by the fact that she had been _waiting _for them, she had known her death was approaching. She would have behaved oddly that day and the workers in her house must have noticed. They would write off her suicide as believable and those that doubted it would not dare question her death.

She heard a loud thud from the other room and jumped, glancing at the door and hissing in irritation. She turned to lay on her stomach, hugging the pillow to her front and recalling the strange sensation of drinking Madara's overwhelming presence and the haziness that swept over her when he would touch her. It made her shiver and she pulled the blanket over her legs, leaving her back exposed. She reached out a hand and snuffed the candle, closing her eyes and trying to forget the events of the day. As she drifted to sleep she dreamt of a vague memory of her and Misaki standing by the arches and Bee rushing past her, giggling in her pink kimono towards a grim looking Madara.

Madara woke up with a start, the woolen blanket slipping onto the floor. He rubbed his left eye, pressing it as an unfamiliar pain shot through it. A ghost of the strange nightmare he had. He cleared his throat, glancing around his room, blinking his eyes to get them to open. Giving up momentarily, he lay back down, staring up at the ceiling. It wasn't dawn yet and the night's chill still lingered. He lazily scratched his bare chest, rolling onto his side. His hair tickled his face and he sat up again, irritated as he pulled it into a loose pony-tail. Picking up his pants, he pulled them on and silently slid out the door. He could sense a fourth dwindling chakra, neither Izuna nor Kumiko. Probably one of Izuna's women. He moved quickly to a door at the opposite end of the corridor. He knew by now that it was never locked, she never cared to lock it. He nudged it open to find her staring glassy-eyed at him. She was lying on her stomach, hugging the pillow to her body. She sat up, pulling the sheet up to her chest. Madara's eyes moved curiously to the connecting door. It was closed and probably locked. There were no sounds which meant Izuna had fallen asleep.

He took a sharp breath, glancing back to Kumiko. Sometimes when he felt particularly lonely he would wander to Izuna's room and smoke his pipe while his little brother slept. When his brother was occupied, he would take his place on Kumiko's window sill and watch the compound in silence. She was a deep sleeper so he hardly worried about stroking her face or tracing the scars on her back. She always slept close to the window, it was a wonder she never caught a cold.

Unlike Izuna, Madara had never laid with a woman with that amount of frequency. He had a few times, but it was scarce and long before he had taken up his father's role. He did not enjoy the women that submitted to him so willingly.

Kumiko had laid back down and he crept to her, holding out a hand. She stared at it curiously and took it as he tugged her up. She stood, pulling the sheets around her but Madara tugged it away, tossing her vest to her from the corner. Hastily she pulled it on as he tugged her out of the room, sliding the door shut quietly.

"What are you _doing?" _

Madara did not respond, he put a finger to his lips gesturing to her to be silent. He moved to the end of the hall, pulling her into his room as he slid the door shut, clicking the latch to lock it.

"I wanted your company." He moved to his bed, picking up the blanket and tossing it onto the bed as he sat, leaning against the headboard. Kumiko moved meekly to the bed, sitting on the opposite end across from him. She tugged the blanket onto her bare legs. Even though the shorts covered most of her thighs, she felt strangely exposed. He was studying her in the moonlight as she gave him a shy smile.

They spoke in whispers, unconsciously leaning closer to each other.

"I trust the assignment went well?"

"Mhm, it did. We made it look like suicide." She trailed off, gazing out the window. Madara nodded, following her gaze. "I haven't heard about your sister yet, perhaps they are actually delayed. That infantry was not the one escorting her."

Kumiko turned to him, a very loud sigh of relief escaping her. Madara gave a low chuckle, staring at her with lidded eyes. Too much like Izuna. They spoke of a possible peace treaty and the chances of an uprising, until she felt tired. The relief had helped and Madara's unusual teasing attitude relaxed her.

Eventually, she decided to stand and make her way out but he caught her wrist before she could even turn her head. Her eyes snapped to his, greeting the glinting scarlet with her earthy orbs.

"Stay here."

His voice was not pleading, but he wasn't ordering her. She glanced first at his hand, then his arm, then his toned chest. She felt a lump in her throat.

"Madara, I can't stay. I have to go."

"No you don't."

She gave him a helpless look, the ring in her right eye reflecting the moon light. He tugged her wrist and she moved closer. Both of them knew that she didn't _want _to leave.

"Kumiko," He whispered. She looked away from his chest to his eyes, taking in the view of his bare upper body. Her cheeks felt warm as she recalled the closeness of this morning. Kumiko was not much of a gambler, the biggest risk she had taken was when she had agreed to be the Senju's mole. She felt anger flare through her as she tugged her hand away harshly.

"Why do you keep doing this to me?" Her voice quivered with anger as Madara tilted his head. He took hold of her forearms, pulling her to him. He pretty much dragged her across the bed, pressing her forehead against his. He was staring at her lips, feeling the same pull to her that he had felt in the morning.

Taking initiative, Kumiko moved, trying to regain possession of her arms as she moved onto his lap, her knees on either side of him. He kept her forearms in a tight grip, watching her. She nudged her nose with his, brushing her lips against his. The warmth that his body exuded was enough to keep her from shivering as she moved her head to the side, pressing her lips against his. He caught her lower lip in his, ravaging it as he pressed back against her. He tugged her so that her chest pressed up against his, irritated with the vest that kept his skin from hers.

He pressed his mouth against her harder and pushed her backwards till she was on her back and he was straddling her. She let out a gasp and a hiss of pain as the mark on her shoulder stung but Madara did not pull her back up, he released her arms to tug her vest over her head. He was slowly releasing his chakra, drugging her with it. He knew she enjoyed drinking it and he always noticed the strong silvery glint of her right eye when he did. Using her new-found strength, Kumiko forced him off, rolling onto him but in the process, they went right off the bed, Madara hitting the floor with a dull thud. He grinned at her as she sat on his toned stomach, tracing his muscles and ghosting her fingers over his scars. He propped himself onto his elbows, leaning in to kiss her. She pressed her body to his, feeling energy surge through her body. Her hands caught in his hair, pulling at it as she crushed her lips against his. The sun would be coming up soon and Madara put her arms around her hips, pushing himself to stand. She held onto his shoulders, wrapping her legs around his torso as he moved to the bed, laying her down gently as their kisses became more fervent. Her body temperature rose, the once cool skin burning against his.

"Madara," She whispered between kisses, her fingers digging into his skin. He hummed, not planning on stopping until his lips met her chin, his teeth scraping her soft skin accidentally. She giggled, feeling ticklish. He grinned at the response, kissing and grazing her skin from her throat to her collar bone. He continued lower and stopped at a point just above the cup of her underclothing, leaving a red mark just above her breast. She groaned as he moved his mouth away, rolling off her as they caught their breaths. She rolled onto her side, the burn on her back stinging from the friction of being pressed against the sheets. Madara watched her from the corner of his eyes, admiring the way her hair had spilled out in front of her, the senbon tangled in her hair. He tugged it free, watching the rest of her hair tumble onto the bed. She was watching him intently, her right eye glowing a stark white. He placed a hand on her bare waist, stroking the curve as he leaned to kiss her again.

Morning had come, birds roused awake from the approaching sun.

"Izuna will be up soon," Kumiko whispered. Madara glanced at her and then back at the ceiling, trying to control the arousal of their passionate encounter. "I know." He whispered back, his voice husky with lust.

Kumiko rolled off his bed, picking up her vest and tugging it on. She glanced over at Madara who lay callously on the bed, her senbon in his hands. Smiling sadly, she moved to sit again, reaching a hand to stroke his cheek.

"My sister will arrive today right?"

He didn't respond but his eyes moved across the ceiling to her and then back as he nodded. She cleared her throat, moving silently to the door and slipping down the hall to her room. Izuna's room was still closed and as she moved under her sheets, the woman next door moved out of his room. Kumiko heard her clogs tap against the floor as she descended the steps and out the house. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Her lips were raw and there was a small rupture where Madara had bit down too hard during their struggle. She took a sharp breath, rolling onto her stomach to catch some sleep before she had to rise for the day's duties. The scent of sandalwood stuck to her skin and it chased away her anxiety.

Izuna slid the connecting door open, his shirt thrown on in a hurry. He had slept too deep the previous night and he was relieved to find Kumiko curled up on her bed. Silently he shut the door, moving back to head to the hotsprings.

Madara was already there, rinsing his hair. As he stood up in the water, Izuna's eyes studied him, making a quick note of how his brother's lower lip looked ruptured. There were marks on his back, where someone's fingers had dug into his skin hard. Izuna felt a flurry of panic and anger that he hid as his brother turned to greet him. He smiled back, choosing to ignore the tell-tale marks. He would confront Kumiko himself, before his sister-in-law arrived.


	25. Loyalties

Hashirama had been doubting the success of their plans since Kumo had cut off their communication. He pressed his temples, sighing. It had been a few months since they'd last encountered her and they had not seen her with either of the Uchiha brothers on the battlefield since.

"Do you think they suspect something?"

Tobirama only glanced once at his brother, shifting to face him. "That Izuna never misses a beat. If Madara didn't notice, he definitely did."

Hashirama frowned, moving across the room to a small table on which rested his crystal necklace. He picked it up, pressing the tip of his index finger against the pointed end. "I was wrong to have attacked her so harshly."

Tobirama only raised his eyebrows, a sarcastic retort almost escaping him before he suppressed it. Hashirama had been in a dark place after Botsuma had passed away. For some time, Tobirama had felt that it had been Kumiko's fault that he couldn't be healed, but then again it was their fault she was in Uchiha territory.

He respected Kumiko, her mother had taught them all that duty came before the heart. He had tried to stop her for as long as he could remember, telling her that her mother didn't understand the consequences of turning her daughter into a spider. Tobirama saw the outcome clear as day and when he was younger, the prospect of Kumiko becoming ill and unstable frightened him. But now they were adults and it had been her choice to become the mole they needed.

He had picked up enough information about her from the Uchihas that had begun defecting but most were disjointed and if he tried to put together what he heard, nothing about her made sense. Some said she was a wispy young woman, mentally sickened by being exposed to war and others said she was a dark shadow that secretly killed all those that threatened Madara's position as leader. The one thing that was common in all the talk was that _she was always with them._

It had irked him and he had spent a whole week ruthlessly hacking through Uchiha soldiers until Hashirama had sat him down and confronted him.

Tobirama ran a hand through his mop of hair, grateful for this temporary peace that had taken hold of the clans. For the first time in three days he was without armor and wearing fresh clothes. He felt a tad bit more relaxed, his calculating calm demeanor had returned, much to Hashirama's relief.

"So, when do you think they'll bring her sister in?"

Tobirama moved to the door then, pushing it open. "She is already here."

Kumiko was startled out of her sleep by a very familiar voice. However, this time things were different. He had dragged her out of bed, pulling her aggressively onto the floor. Dowsed with sleep and unable to comprehend, she struggled to stand, only to be pushed onto her knees as he released his painful grip on her hair.

"Izuna-sama," Her voice sounded tired but steady. "What are you doing?"

He stood before her, the afternoon light pouring behind him, his shadow falling over her as she looked up.

Just as unexpected as the rude awakening, he raised his hand. She blinked just as he backhanded her, her face turning to the left with the force. She stared wide-eyed at the wooden paneling on the wall.

When he spoke, his voice was low.

"First you slither your way into his heart. Then you poison him with talk of _peace._"

She snapped her head to him but he spoke before she could retort, "I have ignored you for too long, you're a spider that needs to be crushed. It's a wonder Hashirama hasn't done it yet. _Where do your loyalties lie?"_

He had seized her hair again, pulling her head back to stare up at the ceiling.

"My loyalties lie with the Uchiha."

"Don't take me for a fool."

"It's the truth."

"It is NOT." He released her hair, crouching in front of her to cup her face. His fingers dug painfully into her skin.

"Tell me, have you fallen in love with my brother or are you just in love with this delusion of eventual peace?"

Kumiko did not respond, choosing to stare blankly into his light grey eyes.

She was not surprised, little escaped Izuna's power of observation. He continued to stare her down when she spoke, her voice flat.

"My loyalty lies only with finding peace."

"There will be _none."_

His eyes shifted to scarlet, black tomoes spinning slowly as Kumiko eye's widened. It was too late to look away.

* * *

Madara was viciously pressing his temples, pacing the room. Misaki had brought in a message delivered by a Senju at the borders. His fiancé had been kidnapped and the ransom the opposing clan demanded was his other woman. It was strange how his mind automatically referred her to as his and as the other woman. The elders had not been made aware of the situation but Madara suspected it was not long until someone called for an emergency council. He had barely seen Izuna since the baths, and Madara had a premonition. The fear of losing his brother scrambled his thoughts.

Izuna had confronted him that morning when Madara mentioned negotiating a cease-fire. Enraged, his little brother had warned him to never trust the Senju. And he had been very particular with the word. Madara smashed his fist into the desk, turning to Misaki. "Call the elders. Now."

Misaki had nodded, moving quickly out of the room. Madara continued to pace, wondering what the _fuck _Hashirama was thinking. He had wanted peace and now he was throwing oil on everything they had worked towards, it would take only a single spark to set it all aflame.

Izuna had left Kumiko shivering on the floor of her room. Her eyes were wide, pupils shrunk and her fingers twitched. To be honest to himself, he hadn't meant to be so harsh but when he had sunk into her mind he had learned many things. Such as her fear of his eyes. She had understood how they functioned, studied in detail the effect of the sharingan on the user's mind, all to try and overcome the fear.

He had also learned her second most livid fear, murdering one of the people she valued. He had been surprised to find himself on that small list along with two people that should not have been there. He frowned, it was a disadvantage to be a spider with strong attachments.

* * *

"Do you think they will return her to us?"

Tobirama was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed as he warily eyed the young Tsukinowa. She was afraid, her hands shook. They had bound her hands loosely and anyone with the slightest amount of training would have been able to undo them. She had begun to sob and he felt a pang of guilt. She was sheltered from war and its cruelties. Her voice quivered as she spoke. "Madara-sama will n… never t… trade her f… for me. Don't you know? She… He likes her more than me."

The Senjus exchanged glances.

"May I speak to you outside?" Hashirama glanced at his brother, nodding and joining him outside, silently shutting the door behind him.

"Things have changed radically, I do not think getting her back will be so easy."

"Have some faith in her-"

"What if her loyalties have changed? Tch." Tobirama narrowed his eyes, staring down at the far corner of the hall, insecurity flooding his judgment.

"She promised us she would keep tabs on them for us-"

"What is the point of that if she never reported back to you? How long will you pretend to believe she is still on our side?"

"Because I know she is. I know she is not impartial to the Uchiha, she cares for Madara and my actions hurt her but she will never give up on her mission!"

"This _mission,_" Tobirama's voice had become cold, a warning sign to the older Senju, "Is ruining her. You should not have instructed her to go with them as a prisoner. What was the point _of it all_ if you wanted to bring her back half-way?"

Hashirama froze, his eyes shifting uncomfortably from his brother's glare. "Tobirama, I am afraid things are not exactly as they seem to you."

His brother seemed to recoil, his arms falling to his sides. Hashirama continued.

"She sent me a message yesterday, requesting to be pulled out. She fears she can no longer continue because she is becoming too attached to the Uchiha. You know how they are about the people they love."

Tobirama blinked at him, his usually expressionless face looking confused, "So you are telling me that she _finally _reported to you just to tell you she didn't want to do this anymore? Why does she want to come back then? If she cares so much for Madara, she should stay with him."

Hashirama remained silent. He had expected that his brother should be enraged, he had felt slightly offended too when he read that she could no longer find the strength to pull the strings of people she cared for. But what Tobirama failed to understand was that the Uchiha were not the monstrous people he believed them to be. They were passionate and loving and that was what drove them to commit atrocious acts. The Senju were comparatively cold-hearted in that aspect.

Kumiko crawled away from the spot she had been laying on for hours, moving slowly to her bed. Her hands shook and for a moment, images of her own bloodied hands flashed in front of her, four male corpses lying in front of her. Her hands went to her hair, pulling it as she whimpered, shaking her head in denial.


	26. Memory

_"Kumi-chan!"_

_A little brown-haired girl was running away from her pursuer._

_"Kumi-chaaaaan!"_

_The little boy chasing her sang her name, closing in on her. Unexpectedly, she side stepped just as he lunged towards her, his face greeting the soft damp earth. He groaned, rolling onto his back as the girl laughed loudly._

_"Hashirama!" A woman called from the distance. He sat up immediately, turning towards his mother's voice. He didn't call back but shot up towards the voice, Kumiko following close behind him._

_Hashirama's mother was a slim woman with a dainty looking neck. Her unusual silvery hair fell to her shoulders and her rose eyes were always filled with warmth. Kumiko followed her new friend shyly, peaking at his mother from behind him._

_"Who is this little girl?" She smiled at Kumiko and the little girl felt her cheeks heat up and puffed them up hiding behind Hashirama._

_"This is Kumiko! She's my new friend!"_

_His mother smiled, blinking cheerily at the shy girl. She continued addressing her son, "Your father is calling you, take Tobi with you." Hashirama's cheery demeanor faded, becoming serious as he nodded. He turned to the girl, ruffling her hair once and then running off. She stood there awkwardly, staring at her feet as she shifted to move away from the woman but she had scooped her up in her arms and was inspecting her._

_"You look like someone I know so well!" Kumiko flushed, staring dumbly at the beautiful woman._

_Akai Senju could have sworn that this little girl was her oldest boys' twin. Her tanned skin and dark hair echoed his, the only difference was in their eyes. Where his had a slightly maroon tinge, hers were earthy brown, like the soil of the forest._

_"Oh! You must be Suzume's daughter!" _

_Kumiko's eyes widened and she nodded slowly, her plump cheeks warm. The woman balanced the small girl on her hip as she walked back to the small tents, determined on finding her old friend._

_Suzume Senju was where she usually was, she was just leaving Botsuma's tent with a new task to perform. She froze and grinned when she saw Akai moving towards her with Kumiko in hand._

Kumiko shuddered, moving to wash her hands. The memory was so vivid but it felt like it was ages old. She could barely relate to the innocent little girl that Hashirama's mother had cooed over.

_It was almost time to be returning back to her settlement. Kumiko never wanted to leave and would cling to her mother's legs, sobbing silently. She was only five years old and her mother had sat with her and explained that it was Kumiko's job to go back to her father and learn the ways of his clan and reiterate everything to her in her letters. It had taken another five years until Kumiko actually did what she was told. Her mother had drilled the duty into her mind. _

Kumiko took a shaky breath, her fingers scraping the skin of her arms.

_"Kumiko, it is your duty to serve Hashirama. Do you understand? You must help him with everything he asks."_

_The little girl was slightly older, slightly tougher and she nodded her head._

Another memory wandered to her mind.

_"Why are you listening to your mother?! It's dangerous!" A small white haired boy was yelling at Kumiko from across the room and she growled in return, pouncing on him as they quarreled, him trying to push her off while she angrily pulled his hair._

Kumiko shivered, glancing at her reflection in the mirror. For a moment, her chest stung with an unusual pain. Her mother was staring back at her, with the same dark lines beneath her eyes and disheveled hair.

_Her mother was sitting in the dark of her room, rocking herself back and forth as she stared wide eyed at the uneven ground of the tent. She did not look up at the little girl peering at her curiously. Tears began to make their way down her tired looking face as the little girl wrapped her small arms around her mother's shoulders._

'Will I become like her?'

She blinked at herself then shook her head. She was different, she was- Kumiko stiffened again. She was making the same mistakes as her mother, falling in love with the wrong person. She looked down at her raw hands. There were blotches of pink-red skin where she'd ripped off her skin. She shifted to seat herself in front of the mirror, picking it up to examine her reflection closely. She was different from her mother, she had fewer scars, a stronger sense of perseverance. Most importantly, she had better friends.

Where Suzume Senju had been thrown into a whirl of emotions for all the wrong people, Kumiko had carefully entrusted her own to a few. The most important one of these had been Madara. The night they had toiled on his sheets, he had told her she could not stay with him like this. It was the truth and they both knew it.

Her hand moved to brush the bruise on her cheekbone.

There were many things Izuna had missed out on. Such as his brother's understanding and intelligence. Madara was no fool. He would never prioritize Kumiko over his clan. He would never threaten his position by blindly following his heart. The same morning, Kumiko had delivered a message to Hashirama using one of the hawks. One message was all it took and she trusted him to act on it.

She dismissed the thought of Tobirama from her mind. His presence befuddled her. If she loved Madara then what did she feel for him? She felt unclean thinking of the possibility of her loving two different men at once. Even her mother hadn't done that.

The silence was broken as her door slowly slid open. There were soldiers in her room, neither of which she recognized. A bag was pulled over her head as she was pulled onto her feet, the men grasping her arms and pulling her along with them. Barefooted, she struggled to keep her haori from slipping off her shoulders. Stumbling in the dark, she was pulled down the stairs and out of the residence.

Her arms were bound in front of her, the bag still over her head. She had trouble breathing and her arms stung slightly. She knew she was outdoors because of the chill in the air and the distant howling of wolves. She was pulled to a halt, people moving around her as she sensed Madara approaching. Izuna was not far behind him. The bag was pulled off her head and she lifted her gaze to meet Madara's. He leaned closer to whisper into her ear, his cheek brushing against hers. "I do not know if I will be seeing you again but this is a sacrifice you and I both must make. For your sister." She blinked, turning her face to him as he moved away from her. Izuna was staring at her and he was the last thing she saw before the bag was pulled over her head again. Confused and alarmed, she stumbled as someone shoved her forward, listening to the sound of footsteps to gauge the number of people around her. Eight, which meant this was a small envoy. The direction they were headed was towards the forest east of the Uchiha settlement which meant Senju territory. Had Hashirama negotiated her return? She was a little curious, wondering what her sister had to do with this situation. Madara had been correct in saying that they had to sacrifice their companionship for the good of her only sibling but where were they taking her now?

They must have walked for over forty minutes. Occasionally she would hear Izuna speaking and she would try to understand the conversation but everything was muffled through the cloth bag. She wanted to turn back and run to her room, feeling queasy. There was a premonition surging through her once again.

"Kumiko," Her head shot up, turning towards the sound as she walked. It was Izuna. "Kumiko, listen to me." His hand rested on her shoulder and from the warmth that brushed her side, she guessed he was walking very close to her. "We are exchanging you for ransom, Bee needs to make it back to us." He was whispering into her ear now. "She must carry Madara's child. There will be an uprising against him and we will have to shelter her. When her child comes of age, he will take over the clan once again in his father's stead. No harm will come to her or her child. Am I clear? Nod."

Kumiko nodded, feeling confused and anxious. She wanted to ask him what he meant and why he had told her this but he was gone before she could gather the courage, leaving her staring blindly into the dark. She could only hear the sound feet moving and her hands stung in the cold wind. Her haori was billowing in the wind, exposing the black clothing beneath. She recounted Izuna's words, wondering just what he meant. There was a shout and the envoy halted. Someone had seized her elbow, tugging her in a particular direction. She followed.

"It has been a while, Hashirama."

"For once we meet without blades to our throats."

Madara chuckled, it was sinister. "To think such a day would come."

Kumiko froze, what was to come of all the talk of peace they had?

"There will be more of the sort. Rest assured, I do not give up so easily."

There was a sound of movement again, like silk rustling as someone hurried towards them. Kumiko heard sobbing and Izuna's sigh of relief. She was shoved towards the direction in which she had heard Hashirama, teetering awkwardly towards them. She could not detect their chakra and she felt slightly awkward. She turned back to the direction she had been shoved from when she heard the group moving away quickly. She took a wary step towards them but there was a gentler hand on her shoulder and another tugging off the bag. She stilled, taking a deep breath of the cold air as the bag was removed, her eyes adjusting slowly to the light outside. It was still night time but moonlight flooded this particular area. Her right eye throbbed.

Her hands remained bound and she looked up to the taller man standing in front of her. Her breath hitched as she lowered her gaze, closing her eyes and thanking the man repeatedly in a small voice. Hashirama blinked down at her, curious about her reaction. He began to see what Tobirama had meant. He refused to come even though he had insisted and Hashirama realized that it was better he didn't see Kumiko in the condition she was in.

There was a purple bruise on her right cheek, small scars littered her temple where she had smashed the mirror in anger. Her pupils shrunk, even in the dimlight, which meant she had been exposed to the sharingan. Her shoulders quivered as Hashirama tugged her gently to fall into step with him and she remained silent the rest of the journey, only watching her feet.

"Kumiko, are you alright?"

Hashirama glanced down at the girl, he had never seen her so disheveled. When she didn't respond, he continued to talk.

"I'm sorry about our last encounter, if Tobirama hadn't pulled me off of you I would have hurt you. At the time I had begun to doubt your loyalty to us, I don't know if you know yet but my father passed."

He snuck a glance at her but she was still staring at her feet. Her eyes wide and frightened. '_What did they show her?'_

Hashirama continued to speak, determined to bring the girl to a more calm state of mind.

"Mother has fallen ill, she won't allow even the healers to come near her. Much like Suzume-senpai." He shook his head, "Tobirama stayed back with her."

Kumiko responded at last, her voice quivering slightly as she spoke. "Madara wants to negotiate with you. He wants peace..." She trailed off, her voice becoming soft and indiscernible as mumbled the last bit. Hashirama hummed and ruffled her already distraught hair, a pang of guilt flashing through him as he recalled the violence he dispensed over the girl that had shadowed him and his brothers all their lives. He wondered then, if he was envious of her leaving them for the Uchiha. She had only been following his own orders and then he questioned whether he should pardon her reason for wanting to come back.

It was Tobirama's response that worried him more.


	27. Reconcile

It had been two days since Kumyko's return and she was nowhere close to emerging from her chambers. There was a soldier stationed outside, on Tobirama's insistence. Hashirama was disgruntled by his brother's lack of trust but nevertheless, he obeyed.

He was going through a review on the clan's activities when he frowned. Tobirama wasn't mentioned as being part of any of the envoys moving around. It was unlike him to slack off and Hashirama was well-aware that his little brother had not visited Kumyko so he could not have been spending time reconciling.

"Aish," He closed his eyes, drumming his fingers on the desk. Kumyko, in her current state, was unable to talk to too many people. Toka had wanted to see her but Kumyko had become unsettled and silent in her presence. One of the older women advised leaving her alone for some time and Hashirama had dropped by occasionally to see her. They had allocated her a room within the medical wing and she spent most of her day sitting silently by the window sill. She had refused to let any of the medics touch her, much to his chagrin and only relented when Mito had spoken to her. Hashirama gushed with pride at the thought. His wife was a charmer, even with the emotionally damaged. His mood turned dark again and he wondered whether he could consider himself responsible for the state she was in.

Tobirama was shifting through a box of scrolls, looking for an older one he seemed to have misplaced when his sister-in-law stepped into the room.

"Tobirama, is this the one you're looking for? It was in my room, your brother must have-"

He took it from her, without speaking, pulling it open and quickly scanning its contents. It wasn't what he was looking for but he pocketed it, turning to nod to Mito, "Thanks."

He had moved back to the boxes, stacking them neatly in the corner.

Since Hashirama's wife had arrived, Tobirama had tried to keep their home tidy, putting unusual amounts of effort into cleaning up after himself. She was standing in the door way for a moment, her red hair curtaining her face as she turned to go back to her room. She shut the door behind her silently as Tobirama dropped himself onto a floor cushion. He pulled out the scroll again and scanned it, slower this time, making mental notes of all the details mentioned in it. He recognized the writing, it was Kumyko's.

'_What is this even doing here?' _

It was probably written around the time she had been up north and they had been searching for her. She hadn't disclosed her location in this message but he could tell from the way the ink crinkled that it must have been cold. The content of the message made him narrow his eyes, squinting at the words '_reanimation' _more than a few times. He heaved a sigh, pushing himself up as he tossed the scroll into a box. He had been avoiding her for days and it wasn't long before Hashirama asked him to go see her. He was surprised his brother hadn't already asked him to.

As he trudged out to the bustling street of their slightly-permanent settlement he had to sidestep to dodge a group of little children that had been charging his way. He ran a hand through his hair, walking silently in the direction of their medical station.

'_She should be behind bars where she can't escape,' _He clicked his tongue irritably, '_Hashirama is such a fool.' _Tobirama would never understand why Hashirama had agreed to help her leave the Uchiha.

'_If Madara had become so important to her she should have stayed with him.'_

He clicked his tongue again, slipping silently into the medic station. There was a nurse at the front who smiled politely and bowed to him, pointing him in the direction of Kumyko's room.

Today there were two men outside the door, chatting amiably to each other. They silenced when they saw Tobirama approaching, moving out of the way to let him pass silently into the room.

'_She better still be in here.'_

As he stepped quietly into the room, he noticed the untouched bed and the tray with an untouched cup of tea. Shifting his gaze to the figure sitting by the window on the floor. The sky reflected in her glassy eyes and she was so still that for a moment he wondered if she was dead. He eyed her carefully, noting the slump of her shoulders. The skin under her eyes hung and her eyes stared unblinking out the window. It was one of the signs of damage via Sharingan.

_'What did the bastard show her?' _He stepped into the center of the room, keeping his eyes on her. She turned her head, staring at him like he had cornered her. Her expression was blank and her eyebrows did not scrunch together the way they used to when she saw someone unexpectedly.

When he took another slow step towards her she recoiled, drawing her knees to her chest, her eyebrows gathering in a frown. He noticed the small star shaped scars on her temple and the yellowish ghost of a bruise on her cheek. Her lip was freshly ruptured which meant she had been chewing on her skin, a nervous habit of hers that he recalled watching with amusement.

But this time, his own forehead creased with worry. He took quicker steps towards her and all she did was stare. When he crouched in front of her to bring their eyes to the same level, she was still frowning at him.

"Do you recognize me?" He felt silly asking her. Of course she did. She blinked at him.

"I'm not stupid, I haven't forgotten."

He would have grinned but he kept up his cold exterior, not willing to let down his guard so easily. Her frown did not ease out and he sighed, glancing down at her hands. They were wrapped in white gauze to stop her from bothering the skin.

He lowered himself down to sit by her, crossing his legs and muttering under his breath. "What have you done to yourself?"

She blinked at him, her eyes slightly lidded as she looked out the window again. "I only did my job."

"And fucked it up just a little bit."

She turned to look at him, her frown replaced by nonchalance. Tobirama shrugged, his eyes just as blank.

"I did everything I could do."

He nodded, wanting to yell at her for prioritizing duty over herself. But alas, that was her job, her only purpose in their clan. He stared at her for a moment longer than he should have.

If Hashirama had been a woman, he supposed he would look a lot like Kumiko. If it weren't for the presence of the Tsukinowa kekkei genkai, he might have speculated whether they were half siblings. She weakly raised an eyebrow and he cracked a vague smile. Her eyebrows lapsing back into position as she turned back to the window, letting the warmth of the light bathe her skin.

"Why are you here?"

She had acknowledged that he would not come see her as far as his pride as a man was concerned. He followed her gaze, glancing once out the window and then keeping his eyes on her as she squinted her eyes in the sunlight. Her right eye had a silvery ring around it.

"How could I not be here?"

She blinked, pursing her lips.

"I'm sorry for what happened."

The apology hung between them awkwardly. She refused to look at him as she spoke but he could sense the genuineness beneath the steady, soft voice. Tobirama suppressed the urge to reach out and press his fingers against the scars on her face, it was a habit they had as children. Sometimes it distracted them from the pain.

"It was a product of the situation. I do not blame you." There was a hitch in his voice as he spoke and Kumyko knew he was lying. He _was _angry with her.

"We could never have married anyway."

"We could have, if you had come to us-"

"Your brother sent me away."

She had turned back to him, fixing him with a steady glare as she spoke a little louder.

"Do NOT blame me for the situation that I was in. Acknowledge that you are angry with me instead of lying."

He narrowed his eyes at her, shaking his head once as he stood up.

"I do not blame you for anything except not listening. If you had-"

"There are so many what-ifs, Tobirama there is little point in dwelling in the past."

"Then stop."

She looked up at him, astonished and curious, "What did you say?"

When he spoke, his composed exterior cracked, hints of anger seeping into his words as he spoke, emphasizing each syllable. "Stop doing this job of yours, give it up."

"Then I would have no purpose-"

"Fuck having a goddamn purpose Kumiko." He closed his eyes for a moment, clenching his jaw, "You tell me to let go of the past but have you? Forget the duties your mother brainwashed you with. Let it all go. Peace will _find _itself and you can entrust us with that."

She took a sharp breath, standing up. One hand was to the glass to steady herself. Tobirama glanced down at her, his mouth twitching slightly. When she spoke again, her words pierced his heart like a single knife thrown straight into the center of its target.

"You will all _find peace_ Tobirama, I will not. Not with myself."


	28. Siblings

Enjoy!

* * *

The door clicked shut behind him as he leaned against it, taking a deep breath.

He wasn't sure _what _had just transpired between him and that _little girl._

Madara would have growled at her or maybe smacked her across the face if she weren't so young but as a grown man, he had to clench his fists and barge out of the room in silence.

"**_I can't DO this._**_"_

He took another deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment.

"_Goddammit Izuna, I know you're there."_

Someone moved in the darkness down the hall, his brother no doubt. He walked to Madara with a small smirk gracing his face.

"Can't pop the cherry?"

Madara turned to glare at him, scowling. "Don't run your mouth."

"You are so inexperienced brother. Maybe we should have kept Kumiko so you could practice."

He scrunched his nose in discomfort. "I can sleep with a thousand women Izuna, but not a little girl."

"Close your eyes then."

"That doesn't change anything, she's _afraid _of me. She'll do whatever I say."

"Somehow I find that I prefer that in women."

Madara's eye twitched, shaking his head. "Those are the only type of women you've known." He trudged past his brother only pausing to glance at his lack of upper-clothing.

"You have to consummate your marriage." Izuna followed him, walking slowly.

"Nobody needs to know whether I have or not,"

"Ah but they'll be bribing the maids to check for blood tomorrow. And they'll be watching her belly. You know this Madara."

"Go help her then. I don't want to deal with nosy gossips tomorrow or any day after."

Izuna stopped, nodding silently as he watched his brothers set shoulders and the fury with which he was moving to his own room. Izuna glanced back down the corridor, wondering what exactly had happened between the two. Bee Tsukinowa, now Uchiha, would make a submissive, obedient wife. The kind that did her political duties at tea parties and bred the right kind of children. He sighed as he turned to walk to her room, rubbing the back of his neck.

* * *

Kumiko staggered to her bed, moving more than a few steps for the first time since she had been deposited in the medical wing. Tobirama had left angrily that evening. She remembered distinctly the way his eyebrows furrowed, his emotions surfacing from under the cold exterior he had held. His lower lip had jutted out for a second, the corners of his mouth turning down. There were crinkles by his eyes as he had narrowed them at her and just as quickly as the emotions had rushed out, he pulled them back in. The crease in his forehead had flattened out, his eyes nonchalant, his mouth a firm line. He turned on his heel and strode out the door, slamming it behind him. She had jumped at the sound, staring at the wooden door as it rattled momentarily after his exit.

'_Kumiko, you're an idiot.'_

Guilt weighed down on her and she tugged the bandages on her hands angrily. He had always been right and she had been too proud to listen. Their last words echoed in her mind.

_"I would help you-"_

_"__**You can't help me anymore! Leave me alone!"**_

She whacked her forehead, letting out a frustrated half-scream half-growl. He had backed away from her when she had yelled, his cool expression changing with every slowly passing second. A warm tear made its way down her cheek and her right eye stung. She whacked her forehead with her palm again, cussing under her breath. Feeling devoid of the pain she felt she deserved, she repeated the action, smacking her forehead with her palms until her eyes were swollen with tears and her head ached.

* * *

Bee pulled her knees to her chest, sobbing into the silken material of her gown. She despised what she was, a meagre child with a responsibility she could not possibly be burdened with yet. Her husband had simply walked into what was meant to be _their _chamber and stared at her from the door way. When she had smiled politely at him he had frowned, looking at her from top to bottom with his dark, glinting eyes. She was enamored with him, stilled by the beauty of his ivory skin and the lean muscle beneath his clothing. He had nodded a greeting to her, their only communication after saying the vows. Then he had turned promptly, leaving the room and shutting the door with his controlled temper. It wasn't difficult for Bee to realize he was angry. She had seen him clenching his jaw throughout the day, not sparing her more than a glance. She was mortified and she wanted to tell him that she had no desire to lay with him yet but he hadn't given her a chance.

Feeling defeated, she had thrown herself onto the bed wanting to rid herself of the makeup and the scent of musk that had she had been coated with. It made her nauseous. She let out a choked sob as her door slid open, the sound of feet padding gently on the wooden floor convincing her to peek at her visitor. She had hoped it would _not _be her husband. She felt fear and anger stir within her.

To her relief and a bit of disappointment, it was Izuna. He cleared his throat, looking away from her momentarily as he spoke.

"We're going to need to do a bit of…tampering with the bed sheets."

Bee frowned at him, she was perceptive. Izuna guessed she was probably sharp for her age, unlike the judgment Madara had made of her intelligence. She was raising an eyebrow, giving him a look he had seen on her sister's face too many times. He felt his cheeks heat up, realizing that he might be giving her the wrong impression.

"We just have to leave a stain-"

"Okay."

He blinked at her, slightly taken back by her sudden response. She moved off the bed, brushing the creases from the dark silken gown. She moved the blanket, looking down at the bed sheet thoughtfully before she spoke again.

"Do you have something sharp?"

Wordlessly, he pulled a kunai from his pocket. Madara had told him beforehand that he might need to goad the little girl into something of the sort. Izuna was surprised that she seemed to be so alright with this arrangement. She moved silently, gently taking the kunai from him and moving back to hover over the bed. He watched her with mild interest.

"Do you know how to-"

His question was answered as she pulled up her sleeve, making a small incision just inside the bend of her elbow, perhaps an inch above. Blood spurted from it, dripping onto the white sheets. She kept her fist clenched, watching the blood dripping with a focused expression. She did not flinch. She unclenched her fist, bending her arm and applying pressure to the incision, careful not to get a stain on her sleeve as she glanced at him, her voice breaking the silence.

"Does that look convincing enough?"

He walked to the bed, his head tilted slightly as he stared at the dark stain.

"It looks like it'll do."

"Good. Here," She handed him the kunai and looked away from him dismissively as she moved to sit on the other side of the bed, pulling her hair over her shoulder. It was a much lighter shade of brown and her skin had the radiance of a ripe peach, with permanently flushed cheeks. Her eyes too, were a mix of green and hazel. She cleared her throat.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Izuna smiled, uncharacteristically. "You're not as dumb as I was initially made to believe."

She smiled at him, there was something mocking in the expression as her lips curled, "Perhaps I am only feigning intelligence. I never wished to lay with Madara. I figured that I would need to do something of the sort. Now if you'll excuse me, I would like some privacy."

Izuna nodded, grinning at her forwardness, "You are so unlike your sister."

Her eyes rose to meet his again, a hint of defensiveness in her even tone. "What do you know about my sister?"

Izuna chuckled, pocketing the kunai. "Is there much people wouldn't know about her? She is an open book."

Something in Bee's eyes changed, a slight scowl adorning her pretty face. "Far from it! I will tell you all about her tomorrow if you wish. I am tired, Izuna-sama."

He nodded, inclining his head politely as he bade her goodnight. When the door shut after him, Bee reached to the candle and snuffed the flame between her fingertips.

Morning had come in a confusing haze for Kumiko. She woke to Hashirama's scolding voice and fingers prodding her aching face. She groaned in annoyance.

"What is it? Why are you h-"

"What have you done to your fore-head? Foolish child!"

Her eyes opened slowly and met a pair of rosy ones, she saw wrinkles, dull grey hair like unpolished silver. Her eyes shot open as she backed away, her head colliding with the headboard of the bed.

"Kumiko-chan it has been too long. Come, give me your hands."

With her mouth slightly agape, she moved her arms into soft warm winds, the sagging skin cushioning her fingers. The old woman chuckled, speaking again "Always with that look Kumiko, you really must stop. Do I still look so fascinating to you?"

Kumiko's mouth snapped shut, a furious blush making its way to her cheeks as she lowered her gaze to the hands that held hers. A nurse had come in, Hashirama just behind her. It took Kumiko a few minutes to recognize the nurse. It was Uzumaki Mito.

"Akai-senpai," Kumiko paused to clear her voice as the Uzumaki silently put a palm to her forehead, healing the bruise as the old woman crinkled her eyes at her. "I didn't think you-"

"I would not die so easily child!" The old woman chuckled, Kumiko glanced at Hashirama. His grin was so similar to hers, it was impeccable.

"My son did a good thing, bringing you back. You never belonged anywhere but here."

For a moment, the only words Kumiko registered were _'never belonged'. _She blinked at the old woman, Botsuma-sama's wife, still alive and grinning at her as if she were a young woman. Kumiko could only nod, gently squeezing the woman's hands, trying to be tender.

The old woman was watching her with her shrewd eyes, smiling gently. She spoke again, addressing her daughter-in-law. "You know Mito, when this fool was little I was tempted to give her a bowl cut and parade her around as Hashirama's twin!"

Kumiko smiled as Mito chuckled, her eyes feeling tired. They were still swollen.

"You're all done. Kumiko you better control what you do with your hands or I will bind them." Mito scolded her, tapping the younger girl's cheek with her index finger. Kumiko smiled apologetically. Mito gave her a soft smile, winking at her as she left the room. Hashirama's eyes followed her and he glanced once at his mother. Deciding to leave the two alone, he followed his wife, a goofy grin making its way onto his face.

"Akai-senpai, I-"

"Don't apologize to me," She let go of one hand, moving to tuck a strand of Kumiko's chocolate hair behind her ear. "There is someone else you must apologize to. He has made his own share of mistakes and he is more than willing to forgive you if you approach him."

Kumiko felt her eyes water, a strange feeling flooding her as she sobbed in front of the old woman. She hated crying in front of people, the little Kumiko that had clung desperately to her mother's skirts had long been killed and buried away.

"Hush," Her soft fingers wiped the warm tears away, "Kumiko, my child, look at me."

Kumiko screwed her eyes shut, sniffing a few times before she opened them to meet the woman's gaze. It was terrible for her to be acting so childishly.

Akai Senju felt a terrible strain on her mind as she watched the sobbing girl. Reminded of her own sons and their once-sensitive bouts of sorrow, she leaned forward to press her thin lips to her forehead.

"Don't worry, you're home now."


	29. Thoughts

While some of you may not like the TobiKumo pairing, I just want to add a little bit of depth to his cold persona. He really isn't a bad guy. I mean. Imagine him stripping.

_Enjoy!_

* * *

"_You're home now."_

The old lady's words rang in Kumiko's mind as she repeated them to herself. In the back of her mind though, someone was snapping back at her angrily.

'_Are you?' 'Are you really?' _

She couldn't shake the feeling that something was going horribly wrong in the equation of her being with her mother's clan. She scoffed

'_It's not like your father's clan was your home. There are people here that care for you.'_

Another voice spoke back in her mind, '_People care for you elsewhere too, like that hothead with too many responsibilities.'_

_'But what about the first man you felt something for? He is more inclined to care for you thoroughly.'_

_'Aren't all men like that? The ones that want to slither under your sheets and share your warmth?'_

Kumiko shook her head, blocking out her thoughts. Madara wanted to share her warmth and she, his. Tobirama… She exhaled sharply, he was a different story altogether for her.

She glanced anxiously around the vicinity. The door to their house looked freshly painted and Kumiko reminded herself that Hashirama and Mito had been married not too long ago. She took another deep breath, rubbing her arm nervously with one hand. She had just moved to knock when the door slid open. Her arm froze and she stared wide eyed at Hashirama.

"Eh…Hashirama." She inclined her head as he blinked curiously at her.

"Oh? You're out of the hospital! Come on in!"

He moved out of the way to let her in, sliding the door shut and leading her to a room with floor cushions and a stack of dusty boxes. Hashirama gestured to the cushions and Kumiko sat down as he moved silently to another door, peeking around.

"Hashirama, what are you doing?"

He held up his hands apologetically, "Hehe nothing nothing!" He turned away from a door just as it slid open with a loud _whack._

Hashirama jumped, abruptly turning around as a stoic faced Tobirama walked out, dressed in his regular black clothing, drying his hair with a towel. He paused when his brother blocked his view of the person sitting on the floor cushion. Tobirama raised an eyebrow, inquisitively.

"Nii-san, do you mind?"

"Ah! Mito and I were having a moment so could you please go back inside?"

"You want me to wait for you two in the _bathroom?_"

'_What the fuck, first you keep me up all night with your thumping around and moaning and then-'_

Tobirama shut off the inner voice, giving his brother an incredulous look as he shook his head. His silvery hair bounced, droplets sprinkling Hashirama's face. "No. Take it upstairs."

He pushed passed his brother, pausing only when he realized the person on the floor-cushion was not his red-headed sister-in-law and the last person he wanted to see.

Their eyes met across the room and Hashirama froze, feeling the suspense. He was no stranger to their little face-off the day before. He had witnessed it, standing silently on the other side of the door when it happened.

"Ku-"

"We need to talk."

They both spoke at once, blinking at each other with alarmed expressions although Tobirama's was more guarded. Hashirama glanced from one to the other, wishing he were elsewhere.

"Onii-san could you please excuse us?"

Hashirama gave Tobirama a measuring look, his hands on his hips as he moved towards the stairs, "Alright, behave you two. Mito is sleeping." He went up silently, not sticking around to eavesdrop.

Tobirama nodded, his eyes not moving from Kumiko as he walked to a table in the corner. She stood up, rubbing her bandaged arms nervously. Her hair had been tied into a plain ponytail and judging by the lack of neatness, she had done it herself.

"Why are you here?"

She glanced at him and then to her feet, chewing her lip as she sat back down, feeling indecisive. "I want to talk to you about what I said."

'_She must be drunk.''_

Tobirama crossed his arms internally growling at the silent voice in his head. The towel was now hanging around his neck as he fixed her with an expressionless stare. Kumiko was seeing him without his head-gear for the first time in a long while and she ducked her head to hide the warmth spreading across her voice. A voice in her head leered at her

'_Oh you filthy little girl-'_

She blocked it out, looking up at the Senju and clearing her throat. "I never meant to say what I said- I mean, a lot of it was because of my anger and my fear… I mean the thing is just-"

"Kumiko."

She tilted her head slightly, inhaling sharply to catch her breath.

"Kumiko, you have to put your words together. Figure it out first, then we can talk."

He moved out of the room to the kitchen which was across a small archway. She heard the clinking of ceramic and the sound of the stove being lit. Frowning to herself, she pressed her right eye, massaging it with the flat of her palm.

Standing slowly, she moved towards the kitchen. She could see Tobirama's back and he was doing something with the faucet- rinsing a cup.

'_That's right, admire that beautiful ass-'_

Kumiko froze up, screwing her eyes shut in frustration.

"Are you alright?"

Tobirama had turned around and stood frozen, staring at her with that same stoic expression, a cup in his hand as he dried it with a green cloth.

"I'm just a little-"

'_Horny.'_

"Tired."

She could have sworn she saw the corner of his mouth twitch as he nodded 'humming'. He muttered something under his breath but she didn't quiet catch it, furthering her anxiety.

"TobiramaImsorryInevermeanttosay-"

"**Kumiko!"**

Alarmed by his stern tone, she took a step-back, her eyes wide for a moment before she grinned at him apologetically. He sighed, walking to the archway and leaning against one side, his arms crossed in front of him.

'_Can you calm the fuck do-'_

"Can you slow down a little bit?"

Kumiko nodded, swallowing as she prepared to speak again. He scrunched his eyes shut for a moment.

"I'm sorry I said that to you, I never meant a word of it. I only asked to come back because I don't want to throw my life away in a place I don't belong and I wanted to come home."

He was still staring at her, his mouth was still set in a firm line and he closed his eyes again for a minute. Kumiko stood in front of him awkwardly, knowing he hadn't believed her reason for returning.

'_He knows it's just because you were afraid you couldn't keep your filthy hands off Madara.'_

The leering voice in her head sounded strangely convincing. But how would Tobirama know that something had actually transpired? The thought of it made her want to drown herself in a tub of steaming water.

Kumiko seemed to have zoned out for a moment and Tobirama opened an eye to sneak a look. Her nose was slightly scrunched as if she were thinking of something she found repulsive. He cleared his throat and her eyes darted back to his.

'_That's right, eyes on me.'_

"You never had to apologize, it's alright."

He had turned back into the kitchen, leaving Kumiko to stare at the spot he had been standing.

"Ah… I'll… I will be leaving then."

He had pulled on an apron and was stirring something in a pot over the stove, "Sure."

Smiling weakly, she turned around to move to the door. She glanced back at the house one last time before she slid it shut as quietly as possible, not feeling as satisfied as she had hoped she would. The voice in her head sprung back.

_'That little bitch.'_

She smacked her head in anger, telling her brain to shut itself up.

When Tobirama heard the door shut, he dropped the spoon and sprinted to the window, pulling the curtain away an inch and peeking at the girl. She smacked herself in the face and slowly moved off in the direction opposite to the hospital. He moved away, letting the curtain drop for a second. He sneezed from the dust and thoughtfully glanced behind the curtain again, catching a glimpse of her walking by the house with her eyes fixed on the ground and her hands shoved into her pockets.

'_You are still so interested in her you little fucker you-'_

Tobirama froze, frowning at the voice in his head. He muttered under his breath, moving back to the kitchen to continue cooking.


	30. Reflect

Ah my lovely leaders, I had no reviews on the last chapter... I just want you guys to know that this story will be a tragedy where everyone _will _die. At least the characters we love. I hope you don't hate me too much for that. But before the killing happens, Kumiko will get together with a certain somebody... so if you guys could let me know which pairing your routing for!

* * *

Bee was sneaking anxious glances at the man sitting across from her, poking her breakfast with her chopsticks.

"So, I hear you've been telling Izuna a lot about your sister."

Madara didn't look up at her as he took a mouthful of ramen, leaning closer to the bowl so as not to drop anything. Bee glanced nervously to her lap, recalling the pleasant morning she had spent with her brother-in-law.

"He um, he asked about her."

"I see."

She took a small bite, nervously licking her lip as she did.

"Kumiko isn't all that you two have made her out to be."

Madara glanced up at her with some vague form of interest. "How so?"

"She's had a rough past-"

"I am aware."

Bee froze, glancing back at her food. When she spoke again, she did it confidently.

"Our father is a little," She trailed off, making a gesture with her hand. Madara nodded, he knew what she meant. Kumiko had spoken to him about it.

"He sent Kumiko away to the Senju when he married my mother. She returned the year I turned two, which is why she always gets my age wrong." There was a hint of fondness in her voice as she stared down at her food. Her hair had been plaited neatly and small strands had slipped onto her forehead. She would be beautiful when she was older.

Madara turned his attention back to his dinner, speaking again. He felt like he had been too harsh on the girl.

"She has sworn her loyalty to the Senju, she had no choice rather." He looked up at the girl thoughtfully as she nodded, "Yes, she was 'born' into Botsuma Senju's service."

"A little like the Hyuuga then, her mother was his younger sister was she not?"

Bee nodded slowly, taking a larger bite of her food. She felt less afraid. Madara was not so terrifying when he was occupied with food and Kumiko.

"Hashirama and I were friends of sorts."

Bee shot Madara a quizzical glance, "How come?"

"We would meet secretly as children, we didn't give each other our family names so we didn't know until our brother's found out."

"Ah," Bee chuckled slightly, "Meeting secretly hm? Let me guess, that shrewd one with the weird marks… He seems like the tattling sort."

Madara snorted a laugh, "Yes, Tobirama. He is quiet the fighter though."

"No doubt."

He glanced up at her, his expression gentle. She had turned back to her food, taking mouthfuls of it.

Kumiko glanced at her reflection, poking her cheeks and blinking slowly at herself. She looked so unfamiliar to herself. Her dark brown hair had resumed its untamed persona and loose strands of hair twisted down her shoulders and her temples. Irritated, she unbound her hair and shook her head. She needed to cut her hair again. She popped the door open, the guard alarmed at her sudden appearance.

"Do you think you could give me something sharp?"

"No."

"Why not?"

He raised an eyebrow, glancing down the hall to the mass of people going in and out of the hospital.

"What do you need it for?"

"I want to cut my hair."

"Don't cut it, just brush it."

She gave him a frown, "Why shouldn't I cut it?"

"It looks nice."

She frowned again, retreated to her room and leaning against the door as she shut it.

She spent the next hour combing through the mass with her fingers until Mito dropped in. She chuckled and pulled a comb from her obi, volunteering to comb her hair for her. Fed up by the tangles, she had cropped three inches off the ends. The result was a straight curtain of dark brown hair. It shone in the daylight and looked nice enough. Kumiko was pleased and thanked Mito for her help.

"Ney, Mito-chan? Is there something I could do? I'm tired of remaining in this room."

"Ah you can't leave this place you know."

"But I-"

"Tobirama will throw a fit if he sees you outside a second time Kumiko-chan."

Kumiko frowned, her lower lip jutting forward slightly.

'_Told you he was a __**little bitch**__.'_

"What's his problem with me?" She muttered under her breath, moving to the window again. Mito glanced at the girl as she tucked the comb back into her obi.

"He's just being… cautious. You know how stubborn he is. Give him some time, I'll try talking him into letting you do something."

With that, Mito left. And as soon as she did, Kumiko pushed open the glass window, climbing out and onto the roof. This was how she had gotten out previously, Tobirama was a straight fool for not thinking she would take to popping out windows.

'_He really is a little bitch.'_

Her mind wandered to Madara as she stepped lightly over the cool tiles. There was a line of dark clouds stretching across the western horizon and Kumiko frowned. Madara was not a fan of the rain. Neither was she, but the cool water had started to feel more enjoyable when she got older. It was easier for her to cry when it was raining. She stood up, walking briskly across the roof to the next, stretching her leg a few inches and jumping slightly as she hopped from one ceiling to the other. Her hands were behind her back and she was tempted to whistle. It was a pleasant day after all.

The Senju had built themselves a more permanent residence here, it was very different from the tents they had played around in their younger years. Kumiko clicked her tongue, walking around a skylight. Skylights were typical of Tsukinowa architecture and she wanted to shatter the glass. She needed no reminders of them.

She rolled her shoulder, the Uchiha mark making its presence known today. It stung slightly, like a line of ants all biting into her skin at once. She wondered how her sister was faring. Kumiko had no doubt that Madara had probably been avoiding the poor girl who was also probably smitten with him. Kumiko's frown deepened as she approached a taller building. Unlike all the two-storey buldings, this one had a third floor and she was facing a giant window that occupied most of its wall. She blinked at her reflection, admiring the slim girl that stared back at her. She hadn't realized that the dark grey yukata had fit her so well. For most part, she had been irritated by it. Her hair sat behind her shoulders neatly, shifting slightly with the breeze. She tilted her head, watching the girl mirror her actions.

'_Damn I'm not that bad looking.'_

Tobirama was staring angrily at his onii-san.

"Hashirama you are the biggest-"

"Is that Kumiko?"

Hashirama was seated on a chair across the table Tobirama was towering over. He peaked his head to the side to glance at the girl that was _casually strolling across the roof _towards the room they were in_._

Tobirama smacked the table with his hand, his scolding voice now sounding irritated. "That is not funny onii-san, don't try to distract me!"

"No Tobirama I'm serious, look-"

"How can she be-" Tobirama turned and froze. Hashirama glanced at his brother, smiling in a knowing manner. Tobirama walked slowly to the window, leering at the person on the other side who stared back at him, tilting her head. It took a few minutes of his glaring until her eyes widened and she stepped back, turning to run back over the roofs.

Tobirama turned to give his brother another admonishing stare.

"I can't believe you're letting her _run free._"

"She won't be going anywhere until I tell her to."

Tobirama blinked at his brother, an unfamiliar expression crossing his face.

'_I thought she was done with this business.'_

"Where will you be sending her now?"

Hashirama whistled, shaking his head in response. Tobirama gave a defeated sigh, looking back out the window wistfully. He scoffed, his lower lip jutting out slightly as he pressed his palm to his face.

'_Will she ever stop lying?'_

Madara was walking through the compound, Yamato in his arms. The child had long since fallen asleep and his head was cushioned on Madara's shoulder. The boy was almost two and he would start being trained to fight. Madara frowned.

"_Will there ever be a time where innocent children don't have to do this?"_

Kumiko's voice ran through his mind, echoing questions he had frequently asked himself. His mind drifted to Izuna as he walked, generally ignoring the stares and greetings people gave him.

'_If Izuna were to… die, where would I be?' _Madara had never wished for anyone to stay alive as much as he had Izuna. When they would battle he would remain nearby, keep tabs on his brothers chakra. Madara had even tried to convince Izuna to stay home a few times but his little brother was too sharp. He had a plan for everything. Madara recalled the scolding voice in which he had reprimanded his big brother for dreaming of peace.

'_You'll never understand. You've never cared for anyone's safety.'_

Sometimes Madara felt Izuna didn't give the slightest crap for _anyone _save for himself. But there were times where Izuna had said some insightful things that gave away how much their family mattered to him.

He had been the one to find out about the uprising being planned within the clan. The elders were riling up soldiers, telling them Madara was going to submit to Senju power and betray the clan. Kumiko's presence had made people believe the elders were correct. She was more Senju than Tsukinowa and all she did was shadow the clan leader. People speculated a romantic relationship between the two but her little sister's arrival had assuaged the talk.

Madara scoffed and Yamato stirred, clenching his soft fists in Madara's hair. Madara needed an heir to take over after he was gone. He would have to 'make one', Izuna had said. For the sake of the clan and their particular lineage as the leaders for hundreds of years, it _was _Madara's responsibility.

But he didn't want his children to live in a time like this. He didn't want to carry on fighting and watch his children die the way his brother's did, or the way Kawarama and Itama Senju had died. He could still remember his pain and the pained expression on Hashirama's face when he had told Madara.

He sighed, clenching his jaw as a woman smiled at him. There was a strange emotion running through him since the day he had traded Kumiko for his fiancé.

It was a plan he had secretly tallied with Hashirama, the safest way for them to communicate was through Kumiko. Not that she knew she was being used for that sort of thing. Madara had simply told her a whole bunch of things that he needed Hashirama to know and he didn't doubt she would go and reiterate it to Hashirama. She was a pursuer of peace. He felt guilty manipulating her but a secure future was something all of them _needed._

It was something he hoped to establish with his rival's help and without Izuna and Tobirama intervening too much.

'_Dammit Kumiko.'_


	31. Division

I apologize for scaring, not _everyone _will die. But there is a significant death and a significant birth approaching :3

_Enjoy!_

* * *

"Move! _Hurry_!"

Kumiko was pushing and shoving against the men that were rushing in the opposite direction. All around her was fire. Someone was prodding her to move.

"_RUN_! Kumiko **RUN**!"

Kumiko shot up, a trickle of cold sweat running down her forehead. In the dark of the room, she caught a view of herself in the mirror across her bed and blinked.

'_Funny, there are no mirrors of the sort in this room.'_

Within the reflection she made out the form of a person lying on the floor next to her bed, his dark hair spilling out around his head. She moved to look over the edge and her eyes met scarlet.

Gasping, Kumiko woke up. There was no sweat trickling down her forehead, no mirror in front of her and she checked over the edge of the bed, there was no body.

She shifted slowly, pulling herself out of bed and moving to the window. Her breath was shallow and quick. She hadn't felt so weak in a long time. The usual throbbing in her right eye was gone for once and she wondered whether it was because her eye had finally gone numb. Puffing up her cheeks, she pulled on the grey yukata. The moon hung in the sky, a slim crescent, madness smiling down at her.

She calculated how long it would take for her to run from this settlement to the Uchiha in the west, a whole night possibly. It wasn't that far but her absence would be noted and she would be hunted down. Growling, she leaned her forehead against the glass, her breath fogging it.

Madara had woken up again, a stinging pain in his eye. Groaning, he removed himself from the mat, picking up his pipe as he made his way to his little brother's room. He was generally a noisy person when he was home, but the pain in his eye was giving him a terrible headache and he padded silently to what had been Kumiko's room, sliding the door open quietly as if she were still asleep inside. The mat she had slept on was still there but it had been stripped of its sheets. He moved past it, walking to the sliding door as he lit his pipe and pulled it open.

He froze when he realized tonight was one of those nights, one of the nights he would have spent sitting by Kumiko and watching the settlement from her window.

Izuna was lying on his back, his skin gleaming slightly in the moonlight. His arm was flung over the pillow next to him and curled up into his side was Kiyomi Uchiha. In other words, Bee.

He took a long drag of smoke, blowing it into the room as he stepped back and silently shut the door behind him.

Pushing open the window, Kumiko climbed out into the still night and hauled herself onto the roof. She decided she would walk the same route she had taken in the evening. Hopping from one roof to the next, she came upon the three story building again. She recalled the strange look Tobirama had given her as she had scurried off and she had worried over security being tightened, but nothing of the sort had happened. Tobirama hadn't dropped by to scold her either and she had hoped he would have. It was lonely in that little room.

The dim, orange light of a lantern flickered in the room and Kumiko moved closer to it, crouching down and pressing her face to the glace to peek inside. Because it was so dark outside, she doubted anyone inside would have been able to see her clearly. Someone was working late.

Tobirama was leaning casually against his brother's desk, talking amiably to someone Kumiko couldn't place. She recognized from the yukata's obi that it was a woman. Tilting her head, she pressed her palm to the glass to steady herself. Tobirama glanced over the womans shoulder and though he couldn't see Kumiko properly, he felt his gaze meet hers. But he did not acknowledge her presence. Rather, he continued to talk to the woman nodding to her as she bid him farewell. She was carrying a bundle of scrolls in her hand as she left and Tobirama watched her, a kind smile gracing his usuallu expressionless face. Then he moved quickly to the window. There was nobody outside, no trace of Kumiko's chakra and he rubbed his eyes wondering if he had imagined her.

Madara had wandered out onto the porch, sitting on the steps and taking slow steady drags of the smoke, letting the buzz kill the small stir of anger filling his mind. He didn't precisely know how he should feel about what he had seen and this confusion was angering him. He took another puff, curving his lips to blow a ring of smoke. He watched it bob towards the sky, slowly dissipating as it momentarily blurred the moon.

Kumiko had gone back to her room feeling awkard.

'_Did I walk in on something?'_

Frowning, she plopped onto her bed, untying the obi and pulling off the yukata as she crawled under the sheets again. Sleep had evaded her tonight and she would be staring up at the cracked ceiling, drawing lines between fact and overthinking. She wondered if her sister was pregnant yet.

'_This is an indecent time for any decent kunoichi to be working.'_

She gave her brain a smack, jealousy was not something she had the time for. And it wasn't as if she'd been very loyal. She thought of Madara again, his onyx eyes darkening as he had asked her to stay the night.

She rolled over, rubbing her legs together. Her skin seemed to recall the feeling of Madara under her and she shivered, rolling onto her back again. She heaved a sigh, shutting her eyes and begging sleep to take her down.

Tobirama shut the door of the compound center quietly, tugging his blue coat over himself as he walked home. The breeze seemed to carry a strange sort of smell- onions he realized. Someone was up late and cooking. His mind reeled to Kumiko. She had looked _different _today. She had looked like a woman. A normal woman that sat home and waited eagerly for her husband's return. He smacked himself, bringing his palm to collide almost painfully with his nose.

'_Like she'd ever do that.'_

Hashirama's words rang in his mind, they had been chasing all thoughts of Kumiko that he'd had that day. "_She won't be going anywhere till I tell her to."_

Tobirama frowned, glancing down at his feet as he walked. The wind felt cold and unfamiliar on his usually covered forehead.

'_So what was the apology for if she hasn't dropped the job yet?'_

He couldn't say that it was her fault entirely. Hashirama was at fault too. He valued Kumiko but not only as a person. She was a _pawn._ Someone he could use to bring them closer to what he believed would be 'peace'. His frown deepened.

'_Onii-san should make her quit.'_

He paused for a moment, glancing at a man that had fallen asleep on the front steps of his house.

'_I should make onii-san make her quit.'_

When he reached home, the chill in the air had increased tri-fold and his fingers were beginning to feel numb. He silently slipped into the warmth of the house, listening for any tell-tale signs of his brother being awake. A pleasant silence hung around home and Tobirama moved to the kitchen to make himself some tea.

Madara rubbed his hands together. The wind was becoming harsher as the night passed, whistling eerily through the trees. The scent of pine and moss was strong, still damp from the rain that had passed earlier. He sighed, pressing his palms together as he leaned forward to rest his elbow on his knees. He wondered whether Kumiko had trouble sleeping, whether she had dreams of her mother or whether she'd tried to kill herself in her sleep.

His chest twisted with anxiety.

'_Who's keeping an eye on her?'_

Kumiko rolled over again, glaring at the window she had forgotten to shut. The night had become colder and the shutters shook with the wind. She was too tired to move, too tired to shield herself from the cold wind. So she curled up, trying to envelope herself in her own body heat beneath the blanket.

Madara had returned to his room, snapping the door shut with his usual careless aggressiveness. He sat on the edge of his bed for moment, pulling off his shirt and tossing it in its usual corner on the floor. The shutter of the window shook once and he moved to latch it. He turned to his bed again, staring down at it as he felt a sudden surge of intrusion.

Izuna had slept with his _wife. _

'_Thank Kami.'_

The only person Madara had shared this particular bed with was Kumiko and as he made himself comfortable underneath the sheets, the warmth of his body lulled him to sleep. Nothing had been here that he didn't want and now he was sure nothing needed to be here or neither he anywhere else.


	32. Breakfast

A smaller chapter for a show of changing tides! Relationships do transform in strange ways

_Enjoy!_

* * *

"Kiyomi."

Someone nudged Bee, brushing their warm hands against her stomach. She groaned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Kiyomi, _wake up."_ Izuna's stern tone roused her, her eyes shot open still crusted with sleep. She mumbled something, sitting up on the bed.

"Go to your room, before the maid comes in for the morning routine."

She blinked slowly at Izuna, nodding and throwing her legs off the edge of the bed. She blinked at the door of his room. When he moved to sit up and stretch, she turned around a planted a shy kiss on his cheek, bouncing back on her ankles as she hurried silently to her room. Izuna simply stared after her, wishing she had shut the door.

Tobirama had woken up with a headache. He was lying on the floor of the living room, his brother hovering over him with a baffled but amused grin.

"Drank too much, didn't you?"

Tobirama frowned, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. He had rolled over, the now empty bottle of sake beneath him. It dug uncomfortably into his ribs and he yanked it out from underneath himself.

"You always binge with the alcohol ototo."

Tobirama glared up at Hashirama, his face flushed

"Shtay away from me."

Hashirama chuckled, holding out a hand to his brother. He took it and stood up, leaning a little bit on Hashirama. He helped him to his room, dropping his heavy little brother on the bed. He seemed to pass out the moment his back hit the soft mattress and Mito glanced curiously into the room. She caught Hashirama's fond gaze and the strange way Tobirama had thrown himself on the bed.

"Oh dear. Don't tell me he's drunk?"

"Just hung over now I'm sure."

Hashirama turned to leave, Mito moved away from the door as her husband slid it shut silently. He leaned down to sneak a kiss from her lips and she smiled fondly, bringing her arms to his shoulders.

"**_Not_**** right outshide my room!**"

The couple jumped and Mito growled at the door, moving away to the kitchen. Hashirama rubbed the back of his neck, following his wife.

Tobirama had stirred a few minutes after his brother slid the door shut. He moved quietly to the basin to wash his face. Glancing up at the reflection, he could sense his brother still outside the door with Mito, their chakras shifting in a way that made him uncomfortable. He yelled at them to move, noting the odd slur in his voice.

"Aish," He splashed his face again, wiping it with the small towel hanging by the mirror. "I need to get back today."

He spoke to himself, going over the days schedule as he dressed, pulling on his head gear last. It gently squeezed his forehead, a welcome feeling with the headache he was getting. He silently slid open the door, thinking of breakfast. But he heard soft giggling and whispering and he decided to stay out of there.

'_Is there anywhere they won't do it?'_

He felt irritated as he slipped out of the house. He would have to buy himself some breakfast and get some tea too.

Kumiko hadn't slept that night and she had been up at the crack of dawn, bathing in the attached bathroom. When she stepped out, she hurriedly pulled on her usual black armor-underclothing- the full sleeved shirt and pants. Her nose was blocked from the night's cold wind and she dried her hair with a towel, sniffling slightly. When she brushed it, the comb didn't get caught in a single tangle and she felt a little proud of her achievement. Craving a warm breakfast, she climbed out the window and down into the small street.

Morning was chilly, dew still hung in the air and she sniveled, suppressing a sneeze. Her throat was beginning to feel sore as well.

She had just walked into the main street when she caught site of a familiar silver-haired men taking a tray breakfast from the cook at an open restaurant.

'_Is he alone?'_

Curious, she walked slowly towards the vendors on the other side, hiding behind other pedestrians. Not that it was easy to conceal herself, she was teller than most women. When she moved into the seating area, Tobirama was chewing his breakfast slowly, a lost expression on his face as he stared out into the open street. There was a pink flush across his face.

'_Is he… blushing?'_

His facial expressions didn't seem to give away _why _he'd be blushing so Kumiko brushed the thought aside, moving to order her own breakfast. She took the tray and turned to take a seat, pausing to debate over whether she should join Tobirama. Deciding to take a gamble, she slid into the chair across his, smiling politely.

"Good morning."

He glanced up at her, his eyes resting on her smiling expression for a moment. He silently resumed eating and Kumiko broke her chopsticks, digging into the steaming rice. She snuck a glance at him. His lips were a dark sort of pink, they usually became like that when he was angry or if he had a fever. The flush across his face had receded to his cheeks and his nose and his skin gleamed.

"What are you doing here?"

He finally looked up at her, his eyes lidded and expressionless. Kumiko paused in mid-chew, raising her eyebrows. She spoke after she swallowed,

"I'm having breakfast."

"With me."

"With you."

He continued to stare at her, shaking his head to take another bite of his food.

"Did you do something to your hair? Why does it look sho different?"

Kumiko caught the slight slur in his voice, feeling giddy as she spoke.

"I brushed it."

"Well thank God for that."

He looked up at her again and she laughed covering part of her mouth with her hands. He cracked a smile, barely. She caught the corners of his mouth turning upwards before the mask was pulled down again.

Madara had joined Izuna for breakfast and he was unusually quiet. When he spoke, he took Izuna by surprise.

"Ototo," Izuna looked up at his brother surprised, Madara hadn't called him that since they were kids. "Thank you."

Izuna's mind reeled to the possibility of what he was thanking him for. Before Izuna could speak though, Madara had raised his hand to silence him.

"To be honest, I was going to ask you to do it for me."

When their eyes met, there was something different in Madara's expression, something unfamiliar to Izuna. For the first time, Izuna felt a pang of guilt. The look in his brother's eyes was akin to indifference and he hardly remembered Madara ever giving him looks of the sort.

"I think I'll be dead long before Kiyomi is old enough for us to…" He trailed off, staring down at the bowl of rice with a slight frown. Izuna was short of words.

"I was bound to tell you." His voice cracked slightly, his throat thick with guilt. Madara glanced at him with that same indifference, giving him a vague smile.

"I believe I saw it coming."


	33. Months

Just for the time skip! I might be on a roll with chapters tonight or I might not. Tee Hee.

_Enjoy!_

* * *

It had been a month since Kumiko and Madara had parted ways, a month since Kiyomi had become the lady of the Uchiha household.

There had been some silence between the warring states, there was a rumor that the daimyo was running out of money as were other landlords. The mercenary armies of the Senju and the Uchiha were retreating to their established territories, not too far from each other. There was talk of trading food crops with refined materials like cloth and nobody from either clan doubted that they were heading towards a brewing storm.

"You can't send her back there." Tobirama's voice was quiet, too quiet for his brother's comfort. But Hashirama heard none of it. Instead, he responded just as silently. His anger was gathering, there was only so many orders he could take from his _ototo._

"I did not ask you for permission and it is _vital _that Kumiko deliver this message to Madara personally."

"And what sort of explanation will you give the clan? Or _his _clan? They will kill her the moment she crosses into their territory."

"Kumiko is one of the Left Wing, they will not lay a hand on her."

Tobirama scrunched his nose momentarily, feeling his temper flare.

"I thought the members were kept secret?"

"It is a secret, the Uchihas treat it like a secret, but they all know. They will not hurt one of Madara's closest."

Tobirama became silent again. Stalking to the desk and leaning against it, his arms crossed in front of him. He sighed, feeling the exhaustion that had been building up weigh down on him.

"I just don't want to lose her again."

"You won't."

Kumiko was lounging on the floor of her room, staring blankly at the ceiling. The shape of the cracks that ran across it reminded her of the thin criss-crosses that ran across Madara's back. She exhaled, rolled onto her side and spotted a different pair of feet on the other side of the door. Frowning, she sat up just as the door was pushed open. A disheveled and surprised looking Tobirama hurriedly stepped in, slamming the door shut behind him.

"What happened?"

He looked so bewildered, it stirred her curiosity. He cleared his throat, yanking off the silver head-gear and running a hand through his shocked tresses.

"Just a bunch of girls."

"You were running from them?"

His eye twitched as he walked to her, towering over her for a moment before he sat down in front of her.

"I was simply avoiding conversation."

She hummed in response, a teasing look shining in her eyes as she leaned onto the wall.

"Why are you sitting on the floor?"

"Why can I not?"

Tobirama huffed, reaching a hand to flick her forehead. He was being unusually 'loose' Kumiko liked to think. His uptight-self had receded. Momentarily.

He drew himself together, the stoic expression returning as he fished a scroll from his pocket and held it out to the girl. She looked down at his hand and then back at Tobirama.

"Another proposal?"

He scowled, she grinned.

"It's an assignment. Your favorite kind."

He dropped it onto her lap as he stood, turning to walk to the door.

"Go to the Uchiha, leave tonight. Tell no one."

He strode out, slamming the door behind him. She watched it quiver, wondering how it hadn't broken yet.

"Hey! Wait!"

Snapping back to the present, Kumiko shot to the door, yanking it open and rushing out behind Tobirama. The guard was still alarmed from his sudden exit and failed to grasp Kumiko when she rushed past him.

She paused for a moment, he hadn't stopped or responded to her, perhaps he hadn't heard. She called his name louder. When he continued, she figured he was probably angry. Hurrying after him, she ducked behind a group of nurses, trying to shake off the guard from her door. She wasn't looking when she walked into someone, strong hands grasping her shoulders. Her vision blurred and she brought her hand to her forehead, looking up at the man. Her eyes met cold, rose ones.

"Hey why do you keep-"

He pushed her ahead of him, following her closely.

"Keep moving Kumiko."

Glancing back at him, confused, she carried on, moving slowly.

"Where are we going?"

He remained silent, poking her when he wanted her to turn in a particular direction. Kumiko furrowed her eyebrows, walking hesitantly. Abruptly, Tobirama yanked open a door and pulled her in. She stumbled into the room, finding the wall with her forehead and cussing.

"What are you doing?" She hissed, irritated at his behavior. Tobirama pressed his ear to the door, pressing the palm of his left hand against Kumiko's mouth. She grumbled something, clawing at his hand.

"Stop." He hissed back, narrowing his eyes at her as he turned back to the door. They stood in the dark for ten minutes, Kumiko awkwardly standing with his palm pressed against her mouth. When he finally leaned away and lowered his hand, she growled silently at him.

"What was that about?"

"We have Hagoromo infiltrators hanging around, they like to gossip about how we _'treat' _our prisoners."

"_You're_ just letting them _wander _around?" She purposefully emphasized on those two words, stressing on them to irritate the Senju. Sure enough, the corners of his lips tugged downwards.

"Not _me, _Onii-san has some weird plan that makes little sense to me and I have no choice but to _play along."_

Kumiko didn't miss the hint of exasperation in his level voice. She moved to open the door and he grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back.

"No, not yet. They're still lurking around, I can sense them."

Madara was puffing his pipe, going through a scroll that had been delivered earlier this morning from the Fire Daimyo. He was frowning, his gaze scorching through it. When Kiyomi approached him, she wondered just how much his eyes resembled the dark grey coal amidst glowing embers. Nervousness washed through her. She found it easy to talk to him since they started discussing matters about her family, mainly Kumiko. Izuna had told her that his brother knew about their affair and would remain silent as long as Kiyomi played along. As far as the elders were concerned, Madara had bedded her and she was carrying the heir.

She shifted her gaze to the parchment, reading over his shoulder as he blew a ring of smoke. He found her intelligence useful so he rarely concealed political matters from her.

"He demands an ambush?"

Madara hummed, smoke escaping his pink lips as he exhaled. When he spoke, his voice seemed to rumble through the air. She always felt stiff and paralyzed in his presence.

She moved to sit on the cushion, her hands resting for a moment on her stomach as she lowered herself. He glanced at her figure, she noted how he would sometimes eye her stomach. She wondered whether he felt any animosity towards the child.

"You're coming along well?"

She nodded, the pink dusting her cheeks became a little brighter.

He hummed again. Sometimes he looked so much older than his actual age, Kiyomi felt sorry for the Uchiha brothers. While he settled for amiable conversations, Izuna had divulged in sensitive family information. Confiding in her had brought him some sort of comfort and his trust in her grew to a form of compassion she doubted existed beneath Madara's cool exterior.

"What do you think of this request?"

As Madara spoke, he turned to blow the smoke away from her direction. He put out the pipe and placed the scroll on the table next to him. When he looked up at her again, he made note of how the tiny fluctuations of chakra had already begun to appear.

"I'm not too sure, the daimyo wants to keep fighting. I will never understand why."

"He pays us to kill, he doesn't understand the pain of it. That is the problem with decorative leaders, they know little about sacrifice and pain and the virtues of battle."

Kiyomi gave him a small smile, pursing her lips as she recalled a memory of her playing with his sister.

"_Bee! Stop it! __**Kiyom**__i!"_

_A younger Kumiko had pulled her little sister off another boy who had been taunting their father._

_"He said bad things about us niichan!" Kiyomi struggled and wriggled in her sister's strong hold as she was hoisted away. Her sister remained silent until the little girl had calmed down, lowering her onto the damp soil by the river bank._

_"Don't worry Bee, very few people understand. They don't understand the hidden honor of dealing with… problems. They think it's something that makes us easy targets to toy with." Kumiko brushed her sister's messy hair with her fingers, flattening the ends that stuck up randomly._

_Kiyomi pouted at her, crouching down on her little pudgy feet as she fingered the soil, "That's so evil. Why are they like that?"_

_"Because they have no virtue."_

_"Virtoo?"_

_Kumiko laughed and the sound rang pleasantly in Kyiomi's ears._

"Kiyomi?"

She blinked at Madara, suddenly looking apologetic.

"I seem to have zoned out, I apologize."

He gave her a slight smile, turning back to the second scroll he had been reading out loud to his wife, this time reading silently.


	34. Scars

I've been a little ill, thus the slow updates! Try my best to keep up the pace!

_Enjoy!_

* * *

"Tobirama can we leave now?"

They were still in the barely-lit room, even though Tobirama had claimed that the coast was clear. He was leaning against the door, blocking Kumiko from reaching the door knob. He had been regarding her curiously for a moment, while she stared back constantly questioning what they were waiting for.

He was much taller than her, her head only came just below his chin. He was tempted to rest his head on hers when she was particularly exasperating. Such as right now.

"And what the hell is this stupid assignment?"

He blinked at her, his blank expression beginning to irritate her. When he spoke, his voice seemed crusted for a moment and he cleared his throat.

"Hashirama said only you can do this."

"I _can't _just waltz back in there!"

He scrunched his eyebrows.

"Stop yelling. Yes I know you can't but my brother believes you _can._"

"Your brother believes a great many things!"

He moved to snap back at her but instead, his hands found her shoulders and he gripped them firmly. She seemed to freeze, but perhaps that was his imagination. She looked significantly irritated.

"Tobirama," She took a step back, moving away from him, "If I go now how am I going to come back? I can't keep going back and forth between clans! When people start noticing they'll-"

Tobirama yanked her towards him and she stumbled into his chest in a very clumsy hug. She gasped silently and then put her arms around his torso slowly, pressing her head to his chest and listening to the steady heartbeat that greeted her. She felt him rest his chin on top of her head as he exhaled shakily, slowly.

"Your brother is crazy." She whispered.

"So are you."

"I am not."

"You're always agreeing with his crazy ideas, stupid things."

She could feel his voice reverberate gently through her, it was soothing.

"I'm always _sent. _I would never have left you two here by yourselves."

He hummed, she tightened her grip around him. When they were children, Kawarama and Itama would often try and tackle her or hug her and should would take refuge with Tobirama. He was the only one of the brothers who seemed to have little regard for physical affection, even as a child. When their youngest sibling had died, Kumiko had hugged Tobirama for the first time. Never after that. When he came to secretly visit her, the most he would do is put his arms around her shoulder or give her a gentle side hug.

When night fell across the land, Tobirama had silently escorted Kumiko to the borders of the settlement, accompanying her a few kilometers before silently bidding her farewell and returning. He retained his cool composure but inside, his blood was boiling at the thought of Kumiko being with those _Uchiha scum._

Madara was still awake. He had made the mistake of being too alert and had heard Izuna crossing his room to Kiyomi's. Even though he felt indifferent towards the affair, a part of it stung his ego and made it sore. He rolled himself off the bed, planting his feet firmly on the ground.

Huffing, he trudged across to the door, picking up his pipe as he went. It was a cold night and he had pulled on a loose shirt that was open at the front. He had buttoned part of it, leaving his chest exposed. There were silvery scars across his skin and sometimes he would ghost his fingers over them, trying to replicate the strange sensation that physical contact with Kumiko gave him. When he took the first puff of his pipe, he felt an elating buzz that immediately relaxed him. He had strolled out of the yard, out into the compound. There were still a few people wandering, just soldiers changing shifts for the night. Some of them were too tired to notice him but those who did regarded him curiously as they bowed.

His ungloved hands enjoyed a taste of the chilly weather- they were usually bound in leather. One hand in his pocket, he walked past Grandmother's house, an image of his sister flashing in his mind.

'_Her husband is dead meat.'_

She had died due to child birth. That had been the explanation the nurses had given them. But Madara being as untrusting as he was asked for a biopsy to be done secretly after the body had been 'buried'. Izuna had supervised it and sure enough, within the mouth and intestines they found traces of a poison. '_Wolf's Bane'_

That's what Izuna had called it, the fruit the plant bore was even more lethal. The same kind of berry that he'd been eating before Kumiko had made him throw it up. At the end of that journey, she had sat with him and pulled out all the toxic that had begun to seep through his body via a small incision in his side.

Madara paused, he had reached the gates, staring out into the forest without realizing he had come so far. There was a yell and men had marched out of the gate and for a moment, Madara felt excessively confused. Snapping back to reality, he strode to the men as they crowded at the gate, growling at the disorganization. They were whispering silently to each other.

"_What _is going on?"

Some men seemed to stumble away from each other at the sound of his voice, others turned to him blank with surprise. One man spoke up, stumbling nervously and short of breath.

"It's Kumiko-senpai. We found her body not far from here, there was a strange chakra that came and went, I believe to deposit the body."

If Madara's eyes were like coal in the embers, then his blood was fire. His skin began to prickle with heat, he felt strange pinching sensations around his fingertips as he walked slowly towards the man that had spoken up. When he spoke, he retained his cool demeanor but his eyes were giving him away and everyone was frightened into silence.

"Where is she?"

The men seemed to disperse and Madara met a scene he wished he'd never have to confront.

Kumiko lay on the ground, her legs bent and awkward angles. She had been brought from within the density of the trees and the Uchiha carrying her had tried to lay her down straight, but her legs were broken. There were smears of blood on her face and her eyes were partially lidded. Her hair had been disheveled and stuck out of the bun as if someone had pulled at it. He crouched down next to her, checking her pulse. A lump was forming in his throat. He had dropped the pipe on the ground, checking her pulse with his other hand, as if he were afraid his hands had gone numb. There was nothing.

He rolled her onto her back, lifting her up and glancing down at her as he walked back. There was a gash from her collarbone to her breast, the clothing had ripped to reveal the ruined skin. Her lips were ruptured and there was a bruise on her the corner of her jawline running up till her left temple.

He quivered, the cold wind now giving him goosebumps. Anger was surging through him as he proceeded, speaking to the man that had fallen into step with him.

"Call the medics. All of them. Make sure the one's she trained come."

The man had nodded, falling back to shout orders to the other men.

Despite there being plenty of men at his disposal, he had carried her home on his own. If this was his last moment with her then he wanted to be with her alone. He had laid her down on the floor cushions of the sitting room, her blood staining the coal-grey covers.

He was unsure about how to feel, seeing this kunoichi in such a state. He ran a hand over her face, his thumb running down her bridged nose to the soft parted cheeks and then her chin. He brushed some strands of her hair off her forehead. They had been matted onto the skin with blood but this wasn't her own. He examined her for head injuries and realized that besides the bruise, the broken legs and the gash on her chest, there was little sign of physical abuse.

Despite his panicked state, he calmed himself down enough to think, gently pulling up her eyelids with the pads of his thumbs. Interestingly, the ring around her right eye was gone. Her eyes looked empty, dead like the rest of her. He shook slightly, pressing his fingers against her skin as he leaned his head onto her chest, breathing heavily.

The anger raging through his body began to leave him, his chakra rising as he loosened his hold. The air in the room became heavy, thick.

"The Senju could not have done this to you." He whispered, running a hand through her hair.

Perhaps it was his imagination but in the heavy stillness of the air, he felt a small tug.


	35. Life

Madara's hand went to her face as he gently shook it.

"Kumiko?"

There was still no pulse, of that he was sure. But he knew his imagination had never been too great and he could not possibly have imagined the tug he felt on his chakra. The medics had come in. One of them stood to the side, bowing solemnly.

"Madara-sama she has no pulse. Should we-"

"**If I called you here to heal, you will heal. I don't care."**

At the sound of his voice, the medics gathered around her, healing the gash across her chest first. It wasn't too deep. He realized that the only serious amount of damage had been done to her legs.

"How do you think she died?"

The medics glanced at each other, unsure of what to say.

"We cannot be certain, Madara-sama."

Madara frowned, using the little bit of his medical knowledge to heal the bruise on her forehead. When the gash on her chest had been healed up, they checked her body for other injuries. Madara was perpetually glaring down at them with sharp eyes as they inspected the girl. He had stood up to give them their space but he remained watching over them. When they moved to heal her legs and set the bones back into place Madara sensed something stir and he knelt down by her head.

"Do you think it's possible that someone drained her of her chakra?"

Though he was talking mostly to himself, the medics nodded as one of them spoke up. "Isn't draining chakra a Tsukinowa ability? It's part of their bloodline limit."

Slowly, the pieces began to fall back into place.

"Where did you find her?"

"Someone was moving past our settlement to Lake Lynn, the sensory types picked em' up when they were more than a kilometer away. I think whoever it was didn't expect us to follow them and got frightened and dropped Kumiko-senpai. I think that's how she broke her legs. We didn't sense her so she must have been dead when she was crossing."

When the gears in his mind began to turn, Madara stood up.

"She isn't dead. Not yet. I need you to try and push as much of your chakra into her pressure points, particularly her palms."

He moved around, eyeing the girl. She was very dead. But she wouldn't be for long.

Izuna had trailed silently into the room, glancing at the body, the medics and his brother. When he spoke up, he startled the living.

"My brother is correct, we can revive her but we will need all the chakra we can compress and someone to make sure we don't overdo it."

One of the medics stood up and moved to sit closer to her chest but Madara was already there, silently signaling the medic to move to another pressure point.

"Nii-san, I'll watch."

Izuna would keep check on her, monitoring the chakra level that would eventually begin to stir inside the body. He sat behind her head where Madara had previously been, his hand at her neck, alert for any sign of a pulse.

The medics counted silently and on three, the team and Madara began to exert as much chakra into their palms and into her body as they could. For the first sixty seconds, nothing happened. Thirty five seconds after the first minute, her pulse fluttered and died again.

"Keep going, I think we can do this."

Izuna was determined to test this, Kumiko had told him once during the research she was doing for Madara that the Tsukinowa could be revived with this sort of method but only in theory.

"Her body functions rely heavily on her chakra, we can kickstart it."

His encouragements weren't necessary though, Madara was being driven by something else entirely. He could feel his blood moving through his veins, each cell of his body mustering anger and hate for whoever had done this to her. As his anger grew, his control diminished and he was forcing enough chakra into her to fuel seven different Ameterasus.

Izuna felt the flutter of a pulse again as it faded. A few seconds later it rose again and faded. It continued like a slow, fatigued heartbeat. It began to speed up and Izuna held up a hand.

"Stop, now!"

The medics pulled away immediately as did Madara. He was staring down at her and he moved his hand to check her pulse. When he reached across to the right side of her neck, she stirred and when his fingers pressed against her neck, her eyes fluttered momentarily and opened. They were glazed over, but the ring around her eye hadn't returned.

"Kumiko?" His voice was barely above a whisper as he cupped her cheek. Izuna glanced coolly at the medics that were watching the scene unfold. Annoyed, he snapped at them.

"Fix her legs."

They shot forwards, preparing to heal the broken limbs.

When she felt warm energy envelope her legs, she became slightly more alert. Her eyes met dark ones and she recognized the lines under them.

When she spoke, her voice was like a croak, barely discernible.

"I'll be okay."

Tobirama had been staring out of the window of their office, in the direction of the Uchiha settlement. He hadn't been able to focus on his current task and moved to lean against the window.

Hashirama had been observing his brother's fidgets.

"Do you feel that too?"

Tobirama turned to Hashirama and nodded. It was the same feeling of their hearts dropping into a deep, dark cavern when Itama and Kawarama both had died. Their names had echoed in that cavern for years and now both surviving brother's had the inching premonition that a new name was about to join them.

"I hope it's just my paranoia this time."

Kumiko had been asleep for four days and when she woke up for the first time, she was washed by another wave of nostalgia. Someone was talking somewhere in the room and she couldn't point out the direction. A familiar voice, a girl's… no a woman's voice she would say. She was ordering maids, talking about clothing, bed sheets and water.

Kumiko groaned, shifting slightly to move her neck to glance at the source of the voice. The maids were just scurrying out and the woman turned to look back at her. Kumiko felt her heart flutter painfully again.

"Niichan!"

The girl rushed to her, her light hair, shaking around her shoulders as she knelt next to the bed and clasped Kumiko's weak hand.

"Congratulations." Kumiko's throat hurt to talk but she hadn't missed the obvious signs, the slightly bloated belly, the pink, cheerful and healthy flush across her little sisters face. Ignoring her sister's remark at first, she picked up a glass of water and a spoon and then placed it back on second thought.

"We will talk but I need you to sit up first, can you move?"

Kumiko obeyed, trying to get her upper body to sit up. Bee hooked her arms beneath her shoulders and hoisted her up, helping her settle against the pillow. She then handed her sister the glass.

Kumiko drank silently, taking one gulp at a time. It was difficult to swallow at first but the liquid felt pleasant inside her dry throat.

"We were all side worried about you niichan."

Kumiko smiled weakly, nodding. Kiyomi continued to speak.

"It's only been a month and a half and I'm already showing slightly!"

Kumiko smiled again, nodding, unsure of what more to say. The door slid open and in strolled Izuna.

"Ah Kumiko, you are awake. There's someone here to check your legs."

She frowned slightly, glancing questioningly at her sister who immediately explained the situation.

"Your legs were broken when they found you."

Kumiko was startled and suddenly felt exhausted. The glass slipped from her hands as her eyes shut and Bee caught it just before it hit the floor.

When Kumiko woke again, night had fallen over the land. Moonlight pooled by her window and feeling excessively weak, she rolled herself off the bed and into the pool of light. The cool floorboards felt pleasant through her clothing and the silvery light was awakening her senses, like a warm cup of tea. She sat up, groaning at the lack of response from her body. Her legs ached from the knees. She figured her shins had broken and had been healed. Someone had healed her, brought her back. To life.

The thought seemed to jolt her and she stood up, leaning heavily against the wall.

'_Someone tried to kill me.'_

She took slow shaky steps to the door.

'_Someone managed to kill me.'_

She slid open the door a couple of inches, before pushing herself out. She recognized this floor but not the room. Madara's door was right across from this one. She needed to find the moonlight. Her head buzzed.

'_Why can't I remember?'_

She moved to the door that led to the bathing area. It was usually doused in the silvery gentle glow of the moon. When she weakly pushed the door open, she began to remove the strange thin clothing. The steam welcomed her skin, washing it in warmth as she dropped the last article of clothing. The moonlight against her skin made her feel stronger. She stepped carefully into the water, lowering herself into until the water covered her shoulders and licked her chin. She felt like she was swimming in a pool of silver when she looked down at the water's surface.

She relaxed, the evening had passed with her waking and sleeping and waking. Her sister had been there the first few times she had woken up but the last two times she had woken up in an empty room.

The warm water made her drowsy and she dunked her head to rinse her hair. She felt a little better after that and leaned against the walls of the hotspring. The ache in her legs was beginning to subside. She yawned, stretching her arms.

There was a sound then, the door had just shut. She looked over her shoulder and her mouth would have dropped open if she hadn't been so stiff. Madara was staring at her as he approached her slowly, crouching by the edge of the spring as he stared down at her.

"It's dangerous for you to be in the water in this state."

"It's nice to see you too."

Despite the jibe, her voice was quiet. She still felt weak, he could tell. He crossed his legs and sat by, eyeing her coolly in the moonlight.

"I'll just be keeping an eye on you then."

She growled, dunking herself to rinse her hair again. He didn't ask her any questions, merely watched her head bobbing awkwardly above the water. She spoke again, her voice still barely discernible.

"I can't remember anything."

She had stood up, her arms around her chest as she waded to the center, wishing the moon could come a little closer. Madara eyed her back and the dark brown hair that clung to her wheatish skin. She was so different from her sister in appearance, yet both of them carried the spirit of perseverance.

"You don't have to push yourself. We'll figure it out."

She noted the plural, making a silent observation.

"You know something don't you?"

"Little escapes my knowledge. Why has Hashirama sent you?"

She had her back to him and she could feel his gaze burning into her skin. Branding her like the mark on her shoulder.

"I will tell you once I remember."

There was a hint of humor in her voice as she washed her arms, letting the warm water seep through her pores. He could tell she was already recovering, the moonlight was helping her, he wondered what exactly her bloodline's connection with the moon was.

Kumiko began to recall why she had been sent and what she had been entrusted with. She felt slightly anxious since the attack, literally coming back from the dead. While washing her arms, she had reverted to her scrubbing, washing her hands and rubbing them until her skin began to turn pink.

Madara was watching her back silently, noting that she had resumed that eerie routine. It disturbed him as much as it made him curious.

"Kumiko, hurry up we have to go inside."

She looked over her shoulder, nodding nervously.

"You go back inside so I can dry myself."

But he was already retreating, slowly and surely. His strides were always long and well-spaced, he was quick even when he was trying to slow down.

Kumiko watched him leave, wondering why he wasn't with Kiyomi.

As she hauled herself out and dried herself, she pondered over the chances of the child being male. She was pretty sure the male chromosomes were the dominants in this particular Uchiha lineage. She scoffed, pulling on her black clothing and wrapping the towel around her head. She would need to ask for a comb.

When she returned indoors and trudged to her room, Madara's door was ajar. She peeked inside, he was sitting on his bed, lighting his pipe. He blew a ring of smoke in her direction and she entered, sliding the door shut silently behind her.

"I'll tell you everything, I just need a comb."

He stared at her for a moment, his eyebrows slightly scrunched together as if he were confused.

"They taught you how to use a comb?"

She growled, toweling her hair. He chuckled and moved to the side table, pulling out an expensive looking, elaborately carved comb. She stared at it, hesitantly taking it.

"It won't break right?"

"I hope not."

Scoffing, she sat on the floor and began to comb her hand in sections, the way Mito had taught her. Madara watched her, fascinated. There were many things women did that were similar but he had never expected Kumiko to know these sort of things.

"Stop staring at me."

"You are so fascinating though."

She hummed as he blew another ring towards her, it dissipated before it could reach her.

She stood up, dropping the comb onto the table. Her hair was still wet, but the dark brown colour of it shimmered in the dim light of the candle.

Moving to sit in front of Madara on the floor, she lowered herself onto her knees and reiterated Hashirama's exact words as Madara stared at the wall behind her, occasionally blowing a ring of smoke into the air.

When she was done, they sat in silence and she would occasionally turn away from him. She had to control the way she stared at him, her expression would go from serious to admiring and now she felt embarrassed. Especially with memories of those hands running all over her flashing through her mind.

"Madara-sama."

"Hm?" He glanced down at her, the singular yellow flame of the candle reflected in his dark eyes.

"Why aren't you with Kiyomi? She is with child, I thought the ma-"

"The father of that child is with her, don't worry."

She blinked at him as he finished smoking his pipe, leaning back to drop it on the side table.

"Things aren't all as they seem Kumiko."

He was leaning back on his arms, his legs on either side of her as he stared down at her. Kumiko stood up.

"What are you trying to say?"

"A great many things."


	36. Embers

"Many things?"

Kumiko had her hands on her hips, frowning down at the smug looking Uchiha. He was simply staring back, his lips curved faintly in a show of superiority.

"When we were married, we didn't consummate the marriage."

Kumiko nodded, having expected as much. Madara continued, his gaze shifting from Kumiko's eyes to the hands resting on her hips.

"Kiyomi and Izuna have some sort of… affair."

"What? Bee would never-"

"Cut it Kumiko, it's the truth."

He was staring at her now, his eyes burning through her. Her frown deepened.

"She's so young though."

"She's only two years your junior Kumiko, I don't know how you reduced her to a ten year old. When you laughed at me for being betrothed to her I thought I'd be dealing with a girl just out of diapers."

"You don't need to wear a diaper after 5."

"That wasn't my point." He mused, tilting his head slightly as he watched her chew her lip. It was a habit of hers.

She glanced down at him, feeling the weight of her eyelids suddenly as if someone had doused her with exhaustion.

"I think I should go to bed right now. I'm really sleepy."

Madara nodded, staring up at her now that she was standing. She took a step closer and cupped his face, leaning down to press her lips against his forehead. His hands went to her thighs and suddenly, he was standing, his hands slid up her legs to her waist. He pressed his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling.

"You should just sleep here." His voice was a whisper, his dark hair tickled her face. Nervous and unsure, Kumiko's hands found the hem of his shirt and she twisted the cloth between her fingers.

"I won't force you to do anything you don't want." He whispered again, moving away from her slightly. She shivered when his hands left her waist and turned to walk back to the door. Madara had dropped himself onto the bed wishing there were some sort of cure for his recently developed insomnia. He heard the door slide on its hinges and then a few moments later, the light 'whack' as it shut. He sighed and pressed his palms to his eyes.

"Niisan, have you seen my-"

Izuna walked in to an empty room. The bed had been made, the curtains drawn and the shutters open. He frowned, it was too early for the maid to have come in and on closer observance the blanket had been carelessly thrown across the bed to cover it. Madara had done it himself.

'_Why would he ever bother?'_

Curious and suspecting, he moved to the room across to find Kumiko sleeping under her own blankets, her legs sticking out as the blanket twisted messily around her. Sighing, he shut the door, retreating downstairs to search for his brother.

Madara had risen a few hours after he had fallen asleep, his mind whirling with thoughts of the eerie dream he had. He realized he needed to question Kumiko about certain things she had either failed to reiterate to him or Hashirama hadn't thought of altogether.

* * *

Tobirama was running a hand through his hair, staring at Mito in exasperation.

"You know I can tell you're pregnant right?"

She frowned, and looked away, pink dusting her cheeks.

"How can I be when your brother has no time for me?"

Tobirama raised an eyebrow, shaking his head as he poured her a cup of warm green tea. It would help with the nausea. He rarely understood how women could be _so demanding. _It was annoying and troublesome.

"You know he has important stuff to do-"

"He should come home a little earlier, I am important to."

Tobirama gave her a sideways glance, a quizzical look at what she was implying. He heaved a sigh and moved to the sink, rinsing out the little ceramic teapot. Mito and his brother had been a little odd lately, sometimes cold and harsh to each other. It was the tension, Hashirama had received word from the Sarutobi about something that deeply worried him and he wouldn't tell Tobirama what it was.

* * *

Kumiko had woken up feeling groggy, unsure of what exactly she was meant to do today. She was jolted by a memory of Hashirama dictating some instructions and she sat up, scrunching her eyebrows, trying to remember.

'_The Sarutobi have reported that the Tsukinowa clan has been acting odd. They might be trying to push the Uchiha to go to war so that they can extend their territory further across the vale.'_

She blinked, comprehending his words and the task at hand and shot out of bed. Her legs were still sore and she hurriedly combed through her hair with her fingers and washed up, changing into another pair of black under-armor clothing that had been provided to her.

She debated over the best route to take, wondering where she would find Madara. When she stepped out into the hallway she was greeted by the usual silence that hung about their home. She descended the steps just as silently. The downstairs was empty, there wasn't a soul in sight-

"Kumiko?"

She jumped, turning around defensively. Madara was staring coolly at her with his lidded eyes, an eyebrow raised.

"Hey I was looking for you."

He wasn't dressed in his usual clan-leader attire, his hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and he was casually drinking out of a small cup, what Kumiko suspected was sake.

"Looking for me? How come?"

He moved past her to make himself comfortable on one of the floor cushions. She watched him move across her and lower himself, making note of how he wasn't drunk _yet._

Kumiko followed, taking a seat on the cushion next to his.

"Well, I heard something about my clan wanting to go to war with the Senju. Is it true?"

Madara seemed to be staring off into another dimension and responded a whole minute after the question had been asked. Blinking slowly at her, he spoke. His voice seemed deeper than usual and the nonchalance of his expression had lessened. Maybe Kumiko was wrong.

"It is true. I know Hashirama sent you here with the agenda of 'making peace' but I really doubt any such thing will be necessary, we're bound to go to war again soon."

Kumiko blinked at him, anger stirring within her.

"Why?"

"Because the daimyo demands it and he will stop at nothing." Madara took another swig from the cup, dropping it onto the floor. It took Kumiko a few seconds to comprehend his action, realizing that he was indeed already drunk. He smiled at her, it was a gentle sort of smile that didn't seem to have been possible for Madara to make with all his stiff facial muscles. He continued talking, his low voice reverberating through the air. He was staring down at the wooden paneling, fingering the small cup with his left hand.

He cleared his throat, blinking slowly at the ground before looking up at the girl that was curiously staring at him.

"Madara-sama you shouldn't be slacking off."

"Am I your _sama?"_

Kumiko flushed, backing up slightly in surprise. "No, no you're not."

He hummed, one corner of his lip turning up as he stared at her.

"We've done some weird things together haven't we?"

Kumiko blinked back at him, unsure of what he was getting at.

"Madara I think you've had too much to drink."

"Have I?"

"Mhmm"

He moved then, leaning a little closer to her, his eyes narrowed. There was a smug sort of intelligence in his eyes that he rarely revealed.

"Do you really think I would be such a light weight?"

* * *

Tobirama was chasing down the target, its chakra getting further and further. Without a second thought, he used his _hiraishin_, flashing from one spot to the other until he was close enough to tackle the assailant.

He straddled it, smashing his fist once into the persons face and knocking him out. When he ripped off the mask, it wasn't anyone he recognized. Suspicious, he stood up, rolled over the body and tugged the collar down, ripping it slightly. On the shoulder blade was a mark of a moon, a single thin crescent. He growled.

* * *

Madara wasn't drunk, he was just slightly elated. He was pacing the living room now and Kumiko felt dizzy watching him walk back and forth.

"I believe your attacker was from your father's clan."

"Why would they want me dead?"

"Because you were returning to the Uchiha and they want you out of the picture."

Kumiko raised her eyebrows, "They want me out of the way for what?"

He scoffed, turning to her. She noticed how straight his nose was.

"You are a foolish peasant."

"That's why?"

"No, they want to hamper any prospect of peace with the Senju."

"Actually, I think they just want more territory for the clan. So that they can establish a more independent status, get cultivation into the picture."

Madara paused, glancing curiously at her. He recognized that the information must have been provided by Hashirama, there was something familiar in the wording she had used. He nodded, moving back to the cushions and holding out a hand to her. She took it and he pulled her onto her feet.

"There is a lot going on that we haven't shared with the Senju yet. Does Hashirama know about the daimyo's decision?"

Kumiko shook her head. She was often fascinated by the way Madara spoke of Hashirama. There was a hint of reverence in his low voice. A quietness that rarely accompanied his stiff speech.

Madara eyed her then turned away, heading to the stairs. "I have some work I need to do. Don't leave the house."

She scowled, moving to the steps as well. She figured she could take another hot bath to rejuvenate her senses.

When she was done, she silently returned to her room. When she was opening the door of her room though, Madara's door opened and he reached his hand to hook under the collar of her shirt as he pulled her in, shutting the door behind him.

"WHAT ARE YOU-"

Madara pressed a finger to his lips, frowning.

"You women are so noisy."

He moved away from her, picking up a scroll from a desk in the corner of the room.

"This is what I was going through. Do you want to read it?"

"What is it?" She silently walked to him, her bare feet feeling the chill through the floor boards. She took the letter from him, their fingertips brushing as they exchanged secret sparks. Kumiko wondered if the feeling was one sided. She began reading, her eyebrows raised in surprise. She sat down on the chair by the desk, Madara hovering over her shoulder for a moment before moving around her to lean against the desk.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"They want war and they know your cousins will go to no end to save your life if it were under threat."

Kumiko stared at the paper, the writing, the purple-ish ink her father used.

"This isn't right."

"Unfortunately, his treatment of you has never been right."

"But he's my fath-"

"Like I said, he has treated you like a pawn in his game. You and Kiyomi were never much to him."

"No, no he-"

Madara's gaze shifted to her as she silently pushed the parchment onto the desk and buried her face in her hands. He felt a slash of guilt and his hand went to rest on her shoulder.

"Kumiko, look at me."

She looked up, wiping a small tear before it made its way down her face. Madara was leaning close enough for her to see some small lines on his face. Little scars and nicks. There was one on the corner of his bottom lip.

"Fine women never deserve such treatment. You should have stayed with your mother." His quiet words brought her little comfort and her shoulders quivered.

"Kumiko, you are _safe _here or with Hashirama, nobody will harm y-"

"I _died _yesterday."

He was a little surprised, his eyes widening slightly.

"_You _saved me. It was _you._"

He blinked at her, holding his breath for a moment at the look she was giving him. Her eyes were livid with tears and boiling anger.

"_Now _you're going to _kill _me too?"

"I just told you I won't."

She stood up, shoving him away. He took a step away from her, not in the slightest bit phased by the weak shove.

"What _won't _you do for your clan? For your _family_? **You'll kill me the second I close my eyes tonight!**"

"You speak with so much conviction of my villainy, but I have never hurt you. Where is your proof?"

"**This letter is proof enough! ****_He _****wouldn't have written to you if he didn't think you could do ****_it!_****"**

"**Your father was wrong about a lot of things!"**

Madara had taken a step towards her and she let out a choked sob, her vision blurred slightly by the tears of anger and hurt. She wished he hadn't revived her, had let her die so that she would remain ignorant of all this.

"_Why _did you tell me? What **pleasure **do you get out of making me feel worthless?"

He took hold of her shoulders, staring at her with an intensity that bordered on rage but she pulled away from him, her ego stinging at his touch.

"**_Don't."_**

Madara took another step towards her, taking hold of her arms. His grip was firm this time, he had no intention of letting her go.

"Kumiko, I will not hurt you. Nobody will. You needed to know, you always have but now you should realize that you can't be his _puppet _anymore. You don't _need _a purpose."

She sobbed again, turning her face away from Madara as she wept. He pulled her towards him, one hand knotting itself in her hair as he pulled her to his chest.

"You are an Uchiha by name. Stay here."

She sobbed harder, wanting the warmth of her mother. But she had been a pawn to her too.

"Kumiko, stay with me."

He was whispering in her ear until her sobs subsided and she was leaning heavily against him. He pulled her to the bed, sitting her down as he crouched in front of her.

"You'll be alright. You do have family, here and back with Hashirama. You know this don't you?"

The sincerity in his voice was almost alien to her and she gave a small smile at the mention of the Senju. He stood up, moving to the door. He glanced back at her, a strained expression crossing his usually relaxed face.

"Take your time to decide. Nobody will hurt you here. I promise."


	37. Rest

Madara was tearing through the courtyard, throwing off every attack that came at him. He had decided to spar with the younger soldiers, some were skilled even for their age and he would have felt proud if he weren't so _angry._

'_I could kill them all.'_

Madara was currently plotting the demise of an allied clan, conceptualizing a massive surprise attack on the residents of the settlement.

'_They have no honor.'_

He parried an attack, knocking a kunai out of his partner's hand.

'_And using women of all things.'_

Rather unexpectedly, the next person that came at him managed to land a blow to his chest and Madara flinched, lifting his gaze to meet Izuna's. Both brothers grinned and engaged in a quick-paced spar, the other soldiers all becoming audience.

Kumiko was still sitting where Madara had left her, staring blankly at the walls of his room. Her heart twisted painfully inside her chest as she took a shaky breath.

'_What should I do?'_

Shifting to lie down on the soft sheets, she curled up in her customary position. The faint scent of soap and sandalwood filled her nostrils, relaxing her. Her eyes felt warm, burning like she was running a fever. But it was only the aftermath of crying.

Her mind wandered to the stability she had here and in the Senju compound. The family she had here, her blood-sister and the family she had there, her cousins- how would she choose between the two?

'_They're all a part of my past and I don't want to be part of that anymore.'_

She groaned, twisting the sheets around her fingers. Curiously she brought it up to her nose and sniffed it, besides the scent of soap and sandal, there was that musky scent of smoke. The same scent came from his pipe and echoed in his hair. It made her stomach flutter.

The momentary distraction from the stress was enough for exhaustion to sweep down on her again, sleep took her easily, where death had failed.

Madara returned to his room after washing up. Izuna had spent time with him today and he felt better, less worried and less tense. Madara smiled fondly to himself, swinging the towel around his neck as he walked back to his room. His pajamas felt warm and comfortable and he slid the door open with ease. Upon stepping into his room he did the routine before-bed tasks. Check the desk, put away the letters etc.

When Madara moved towards the desk, he failed to notice the lump on his bed. When he turned around, he was mildly surprised and moved to poke her.

"Kumiko?"

He tilted his head, craning over her to shake her awake. But she didn't budge and insisted on sleeping. Her breaths were even and deep and her eyes were rolling beneath her eyelids.

'_What do I do with this?'_

He prodded her again, pushing her to one side of the bed. She was curled up on the center of the bottom half so he pushed her to the left while he lay down on the right, his head comfortable on the pillow. His feet were close to her and he nudged her with his foot. She didn't stir. Frowning, he sat up again, feeling a little uncomfortable with having her there.

"**Kumiko.**"

She lifted her head, her eyes swollen with sleep. Glancing around groggily, she was about to curl up again.

He reached forward and tugged her arm, pulling her to the headboard so she could at least place her head on the pillow. She leaned against the headboard though, and blinked sleepily at the Uchiha. It wasn't long before her eyelids became harder to open and she dosed off in that sitting-up position. Madara scoffed, putting out the candle and turning his back to her. A few hours later, Madara had still been awake and he had felt her stir. She was awake now too and staring remorsefully at the ceiling. He rolled over to face her and she looked down at him, squinting to make out his face in the dark.

"Are you awake?"

She was whispering, her voice meek. He hummed. She lay down and rolled over to face him then, their breaths just barely brushing each others skin.

"Are you alright?"

In response, she chewed her lip and shrugged. She saw the corners of his eyes wrinkle up slightly, he was probably smiling. She moved again, pulling the blanket out from beneath her so she could crawl into it. He moved a bit to help her and they found themselves tucked up and warm, grinning at each other in the dark.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Eh… resurrecting me."

He laughed, it was soft and deep and pleasant to her ears and she subconsciously leaned a little closer to him.

"Your eyes are really swollen Kumiko."

She laughed then, "It happens when I'm tired."

"You mean, when you cry."

It was her turn to scoff and she shifted her gaze. She could see parts of his skin that were illuminated by the dim light in the room. There was his chin, the base of his throat, the Adams apple, the white glint of his teeth when he grinned or spoke, the shine of grey in his dark eyes-

"Kumiko, you're staring."

She blushed, closing her eyes and smiling goofily. She still felt terrible inside, but being in his presence made the weight of it all lighter. He spoke again, his hand moving to rest by her stomach.

"Have you decided yet?"

She stiffened a bit, sighing.

"Not really."

He hummed again, rolling onto his back to stare at the ceiling.

"I don't know if I want to go back to anyone who's related to my past, to my father or my mother."

Madara didn't respond, he only wanted her to give one definite answer but he was determined to not force it on her.

"I don't want to be part of any of this anymore."

He glanced at her, turning his head to catch her eyes in the dark. There was no silvery ring around her right eye anymore.

"If I don't go back I won't have any family besides Kiyomi and I don't want to stay connected to all of that family shit."

Her voice seemed to stagger as she spoke, cracking at her little sister's name.

"Why don't you leave this life behind entirely?"

"And go _where?_"

"Stay here, just don't get involved in the work."

She scoffed, "There's no way I _can't _get involved."

He hummed again and she moved closer to him, resting her face by the crook of his neck. His body radiated a comforting heat and when he spoke to her, she couldn't clearly make out what he'd said and instead surrendered to the sleep that took her again.

When Madara heard nothing but her steady breathing, he realized she'd fallen asleep again. He rolled onto his side to face her and unintentionally, their noses brushed. For a moment he froze and then leaned a little closer to steal a kiss, planting his lips with a gentle firmness on hers. She moved a little bit, shifting to make herself comfortable. Letting her body press against his chest, he closed his eyes pretending he was at peace for one night.


	38. Seed

Hey everybody,

_plot twist!_

If something about this part confuses you, hit me up and I'll try and make it clearer.

_Enjoy!_

* * *

The next morning, Madara had risen at dawn and dressed for the day, leaving Kumiko asleep in his bed. Her coppery brown hair spilled out around her head and he noticed that it lacked that wild, tangled look it always had. He smiled to himself, making his way out of his residence.

'_At least she knows how to use a comb now.'_

Madara was not particulary a morning-person or a night-person. He was indifferent to the times of day, used to sleeping for only three hours at a time. It was easy for him to go to bed in the middle of the day and spend the rest of the 21 hours working, sun up or down.

Yesterday he had sent Izuna to the temple in his place. He hadn't felt up to working and decided to take a short break. That was until Kumiko had come stumbling into his routine all over again.

"_Stop slacking off."_

His eyebrows bunched up, he frowned, the corners of his lips tugged downwards but only momentarily. Someone greeted him and he nodded, clearing his face of any expression.

'_I wasn't slacking off.'_

Her presence was always somewhat of an enigma. He knew better than to trust her, he knew her motives weren't as innocent as she played them out to be.

He knew exactly what her father had been and what _she _was and what her _sister _was.

'_The only good in her is her Senju blood.'_

That was true, the deceitful Tsukinowa traits _had _been passed onto her but the Senju half of her made her a _terrible _liar and an awfully loyal person.

Kumiko had risen sometime after Madara had left, groggily moving to the door and sliding it open. She poked her head out first, checking the hallway as she crossed quickly to her room, using her foot to kick his door shut. When she opened the door to her new room, she caught something moving out of the corner of her eye and slowly stepped into her room, acting as if she hadn't noticed.

Kiyomi had been leaving her room when she heard a door slide open. She froze momentarily behind the door frame, only peeking out when she saw someone cross from her husband's room the one opposite. Kumiko.

She frowned, feeling discomfort rise in her chest as she went back to her room. It was only a matter of time until the maids swooped in to clean up the place. She checked her reflection in the mirror, patting her hair where it seemed to puff up. Taking a deep breath, she exited her room and strode authoritatively down the hall to her sister's room. She knocked once and then slid the door open to be greeted by a surprised yelp.

Kumiko was standing in only her underwear, holding her blouse up to her chest as she turned to glare at Kiyomi.

"Close the door!"

Kiyomi listened, stepping in and sliding the door shut behind her. She moved to sit on her sister's bed. It was already made and she guessed it had been untouched since yesterday. Kumiko pulled on the blouse and turned to face her sister. There were kanji marks running from her left hip, hidden beneath her underwear, down to her mid-thigh. A seal of sorts.

"I see you have made some modifications."

Kiyomi was eyeing the seal.

"It was necessary."

"Kumiko can we cut straight to the point? I have duties to perform."

Kumiko frowned slightly, it was just the gentlest twitch of her eyebrows and Kiyomi made note of it. Her sister was going to be defensive.

"I saw you in the morning. Coming out of Madara's room."

"What is your point?"

"He is my husband and the clan leader, your presence in-"

"Can it Bee. You know why both of us are _here._"

Kiyomi's expression changed, replaced by an emotionless mask.

"And I have done _exactly _what I was supposed to. Your duties were transferred to me the day you left for the Senju as a child. Before I was _born _I was doomed to this."

Kumiko eyed her silently for a moment, turning away to lug through her newly stocked closet for pants. She preferred to not look her little sister in the eye when they spoke of these things. Kiyomi spoke again, a hint of fear in her voice.

"You think he'll send someone for us when he finds out that we haven't…."

She didn't continue and Kumiko turned around and strode to her, crouching down and resting her palms on her sister's knees.

"We are safe here, I told you."

Kiyomi clicked her tongue, looking away with guilt.

"It's just that he makes it so convincing when he says he'll end me and you both."

"He already tried, I'm sure he thinks I'm done with."

Kiyomi nodded, supplying Kumiko with what she had already expected had been done. "I sent father a note of your 'demise'. The medics will remain silent and so will the members of this household."

"Ah," Kumiko smiled slightly, meeting her sister's gaze. "So that's why I can't leave the house?"

Kiyomi simply nodded and Kumiko moved back to the closet to look for her pants, clearing her throat.

"So Bee, what happened with Izuna… was it just compromise? Did you compromise your position?"

Kiyomi cleared her throat as well, staring straight at the wall.

"I don't have the heart to have the only heir grown in me and killed by filthy hands."

Kumiko remained silent. Kiyomi continued.

"You will have to do that, we have to protect them- the future of this clan is at stake. Father will stop at nothing. He thinks it's Madara's child and that is how I will meet my end as well. With no firm heir and that sort of tragedy, you know the position of leader will create dispute."

"Yeah, these Uchiha are crazy enough to kill each other." Kumiko silenced for a moment, "Do you love him?"

"Who?"

"Madara."

"I… Yes."

Kumiko sighed. Bee had been raised to believe she would be married to a prince, a future king, a warrior, a leader, a fighter. Madara fit all those descriptions and her sacrifice was a show of great affection that would go unnoticed. It was a pity.

"Izuna knows, he-"

"He knows?!" Her whipped around to stare, shocked.

"Yes. I told him the day after we were married. I had to do this one way or the other Niichan and he understands father's plan."

"What did he say?"

"That whatever needed to be done would be done. He has known of stirrings of rebellion, all instigated by Tsukinowa rogues and some of the elders that take father's perspective."

"I don't know if I can carry out my own task though."

"He has a liking for you, there is no doubt you will."

Kumiko silently pulled on her pants, taking a seat next to her sister. She took her hand.

"I will try and figure out a way to get through this, before it's too late."

Both sat in silence as Izuna moved away from the door, finally trusting Kiyomi's intentions. When she had first told him of her 'task' he had been appalled but it had made sense, the coming of chaos. Madara needed an heir and both Izuna and Kiyomi loved him too much to actually sacrifice his seed. That was the only reason he had consented to putting his own in his place.

'_The clan will have to accept what is coming.'_


	39. A Dead Girl

It had been a few hours since Kiyomi had left Kumiko in her room and the older sister was now lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. And boy, was she _bored._

These were the sort of times she wished she could be out, following Madara around like the shadow she was. Frowning, she rolled over. And then she rolled onto her other side. Then back onto the flat of her back.

'_Why am I here again?'_

A little voice in the back of her head supplied her with an answer.

'_Madara.'_

To her, it was amazing how the sheer mention of his name brought goose-bumps to her skin, as if he were ghosting his fingers over her body. Groaning, she pulled the pillow into her, curling up around it. The previous night had been pleasant. When Madara had finally fallen asleep, she had risen for a moment just to observe him. The way his eyes were shut pleasantly, the lines on his skin seemed to vanish in his relaxed state, his pink lips were softly parted, warm gushes of breath escaping them.

She had wanted to lean over and gently press her lips to his, just for a second. But she hadn't, she had rolled onto her side with her back to him, remorsefully. But almost as if he'd been awake and aware of her leaving his closeness, one hand went around her waist, his warm hand resting gently over the curve of her waist and onto her stomach. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck and she backed up a little bit, to steal his warmth and enjoy the privilege of his body against hers.

She buried her face into the pillow, feeling the heat rush to her face. Followed by a wave of undeniable guilt and anger.

'_I'll kill them all.'_

Izuna had been discussing matters with Misaki when he heard the distinct sound of Madara yelling and something crashing. Instantaneously, he was by his brother's side. Well he tried to be. Instead he met a surprising view. The desk had been thrown over and Madara was pacing around the center of the room. When Izuna stepped in, he paused to look at him. His eyes swept over his brother and both Uchihas stared silently at each other. Izuna slid the door shut gently behind him.

"What happened?"

"**This.**"

Madara was holding a parchment, its corners roughed up, the paper slightly crinkled. Izuna took it gently from his brother, scanning the page quickly.

Izuna raised an eyebrow at Madara. "What's wrong? Your father-in-law is congratulating you."

"**He said he's going to ****_come here._**"

Izuna blinked once, not understanding.

"**I don't want more Tsukinowa filth in my house!"**

Then it clicked. Izuna gave his brother an amused smirk. "You have to deal with the in-laws."

"I don't want to. Tell them to not come. Nobody knows about _her._"

For a moment, Izuna paused. He thought his brother was talking about Kiyomi. But what he meant by _her _was Kumiko

"Ah, I see."

Madara gave his brother a helpless frown, synonymous with 'help me'.

Izuna nodded, moving to the door. "Do you want me to send someone?"

But Madara was pulling up the desk upright and gathering the scattered scrolls. "No, I got it."

Misaki was climbing up the stairs. Izuna had sent him with a nurse in tow for Kiyomi's weekly check-up. He stood at the door to her room, knocking once. He heard her allow entry, her voice muffled through the door and pulled it open, the nurse stepping in silently. Just as instructed, he slid the door shut and remained outside it, standing attentively at the door.

Kumiko rolled around her bed before sitting up, running her hands through her hair. She had taken a comb from her sister and had spent the morning combing her hair. Now it was fine and straight, waving slightly at the ends and her fingers never got caught in it. She tucked it behind her ears, moving curiously to the door. With only women in the house, she had swapped her pants for loose, knee-length pajamas. She slid the door open, eyes squinting in the bright light pouring in through the window. There was a man standing outside her sister's door and she froze. _Nobody _was supposed to know she wasn't really a corpse. Her first thought was to step back into her room but he had already seen her, his jaw dropping a few inches and his startled hair looking more shocked than ever. He strode to her and she back-stepped into her room. Relentlessly, he followed her in, hooking his fingers around her collar and pulling her towards him.

"_BITCH I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD."_

He was whisper-shouting, staring at her with that infuriated, wide-eyed expression most Uchihas had when they felt a surge of any sort of emotion. She waved her hands in front of her face.

"I'm… I'm a ghost! A wandering spirit!"

His other hand went to her thigh and he pinched it. She yelped.

"SOME FUCKIN' GHOST."

"Shush Misaki-kun, someone will hear!"

"WHY," He lowered his voice, "Why didn't you _tell me?"_

"Eh?" She blinked at him, confused.

"I've been wearing black to mourn for your stupid death you little bitch!"

He let go of her, huffing. His nostrils flared slightly.

"Nobody is supposed to know."

"I _figured._"

"You have to keep quiet."

He went to the door, sliding it shut and walking back to her.

"What's going on Kumiko? Why were they after you?" There was a tinge of concern in his voice, he had been her sensei and senior since she was a child. He was a part of her childhood that she realized she would never hate as much as the rest of it.

"Who?"

"Your clan…?"

She stiffened, frowning at him. His lips parted for a moment, his cheeks flushing in anger when he realized she hadn't been told.

"You were attacked by a Tsukinowa that drained you entirely of your chakra. The only thing that let you be revived was what was in the seal. Uchiha chakra triggers it, you're lucky Madara-sama got to you in time."

She narrowed her eyes, her fists curling. "I thought that seal was a secret between us!"

"It is, it is! It was a coincidence that he was there and he thought of trying out that unorthodox method on you. I-"

Outside, they heard Kiyomi's door slide open. Misaki glanced back at the door and then gestured for Kumiko to move out of the doorway so he could leave. She nodded, moving away as he slipped out of the room, glancing at him as he went past her. The steam burn scar had partially healed.

But there was another sound that followed, her door was thrown open, shaking in its hinges and bouncing back slightly. Madara strode in in, bearing the same expression Misaki had had. Behind him, Misaki was mouthing a 'sorry' as he led the nurse out, his lips pursed.

Madara slid the door shut just as loudly as he had opened it, Kumiko flinched and pressed her temples in irritation.

"Nobody was supposed to _know._"

"It's okay Madara, it just-"

"**You can't trust anyone!"**

Kumiko blinked at him, opening her mouth and then closing it without saying a word. His gaze was scorching through her and she watched his eyes slowly move from her face to her shoulders to her stomach and then to her legs. His scowl deepened.

"You were dressed so inappropriately in his presence?"

"I… I eh…"

He crossed his arms, staring at her as if he were demanding an apology.

"I didn't know he was there, you know my sensing abilities have detoriated, I can't do anything with my chakra-"

"**Silence.**"

She immediately stiffened, giving him an apologetic half-smile. In that moment, the whole room seemed to be filled with his presence. And then he started walking towards her and she blinked, taking a step back. He raised an eyebrow and let out a short laugh.

"Kumiko I'm not going to hurt you." He was grinning sheepishly at her and she grinned back, feeling silly.

"Sorry, I just-"

But he was standing in front of her, the toes of his shoes touching hers. He reached a calloused hand and took a lock of her brown hair in his fingers. When he spoke, his breath tickled her skin, her pores prickling in excitement.

"Nobody should see you like this, you know..." She averted her gaze, her ears heating up.

"Except me."

The heat spread immediately to her cheeks and she bit her lip, trying to hide the smile. He leaned forward, cupping her face with his other hand and brushing his lips slightly with hers. Before she could respond, he pulled away fearing he would not be able to control the growing lust inside him.

Clearing his throat, he took a step back lowering his head in a gesture of farewell. He strode back to the door, sliding it open and walking out, gently shutting it behind him. She heard his own door slam followed by the '_thunk' _of his armor falling to the ground as he took it off, piece by piece.

'_How much longer do I have to restrain myself?'_


	40. Resurrection

I believe this is the chapter most of you have been waiting for! My first time writing something of the sort, if you want to enjoy this to its _fullest _then read it while listening to this song: Resurrection by HIM.

For some reason it just screams 'having sex with madara never felt better'.

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Izuna had summoned Kumiko and Misaki to his room some time before nightfall. Curious and slightly wary, she had knocked gently on the door, stepping in to find Misaki had already arrived and Izuna was pacing around the room, much like Madara. He glanced at her and beckoned for her to hurry in and she did, sliding the door shut behind her. She exchanged glances with Misaki, he looked slightly… disturbed. Izuna was mumbling under his breath, only speaking up when Kumiko sat down.

"So that decides it, yes Misaki?"

The man nodded, Izuna staring intently at him.

"Good, now moving on. Kumiko," In response, she raised her eyes to meet his. His cool gray eyes made her face hurt, remembering the bruise he had given her and the trauma he had easily inflicted on her.

"Kumiko, as far as I have understood, your former clan has been fuelling rebellion against my brother. He will be overthrown at some point but one of our own spiders will take his place."

She blinked at him, making note of the way Misaki seemed to look away.

"Misaki has been planted by me into the group of rebels and once my brother has been removed, by force or by death-whichever, Misaki will become clan leader."

She stared back at him, her expression blank. Izuna continued, shifting to stare at the desk.

'_If anyone can do it, it's her.'_

"As we already know, Kiyomi will be murdered along with her child, so far the only real heir to Madara's position. That will be the only way to pacify the rebels."

Misaki was watching Izuna from the corner of his eyes, his face still turned away.

"While that happens, Madara's real heir will be with you, Kumiko." He fixed her with a stare that brought the blood rushing to her face. Izuna was staring, but there was something different in his look, something desperate.

"There will come a point where Madara-nii will be beyond saving. All of us should know this, such is the chemistry of the Uchiha mind. You will come to understand if you don't understand right now."

Kumiko spoke up for the first time, "How will I just carry Madara's heir? People will understand, I am not married, I'm supposed to be dead. Word will get out that he saved me, people will-"

"You will marry Misaki."

Kumiko blanched, bewildered. Izuna pressed on.

"He will be leader and then in turn, what everyone will think is his son will inherit the title and the generations will proceed under the rightful leader."

Kumiko was too shocked to speak.

* * *

Madara was leaning against the door frame, watching Izuna sift through some maps.

"Brother, you think neither of us will survive?"

"We won't for much longer. The legacy of our family is at risk."

Madara 'hmm'd' moving towards his brother, eyeing him silently. Izuna had begun to look exhausted.

"Everything will work itself out eventually. The clan can survive on its own as long as someone is there to guide them."

"And you are sure Misaki is the man you want?"

Madara nodded, turning away to the door. The candle flickered as he walked past it. Izuna watched him leave, collapsing against the wall and closing his eyes as silent tears slipped from his eyes.

_'…From the moment we touched.'_

Echoing thoughts, Kumiko and Madara moved around their respective rooms. She was shocked, tired, and disbelieving.

'_He can't just die.'_

Madara was removing his clogs, frowning at the lines in the wooden floor.

'_They have to carry on.'_

Reminiscing the few times they had actually felt each other, Kumiko shivered. She was breathing heavily as panic stirred in her chest. Anxiety was twisting through her, nettling her insides as she leaned against the wall and stared at her bed.

'_He's just going to leave us.' _She shook the thought from her head but another bounced back, '_What's the point of us working so hard to protect him if-'_

As if instantly reacting to the thought, her body shuddered and she slipped down, collapsing onto the floor with her teeth clenched. She pulled her knees up her chest, hugging them as she shivered, the image of his corpse on the floor flashing through her mind. Another shiver wrecked through her.

Madara was silently pacing his room, occasionally glancing over at the door. His mind would constantly reel back to the current center of his gravity, Kumiko.

'_Where is she?'_

He let out a long drawn breath, chewing his lip. He had picked up the habit. He moved to the door, pulling it open and striding across to hers. He pulled it open, slamming it shut behind him and latching it, his impatience churning through him. He froze when he met her tear filled gaze. She was folded up in a corner, her knees hugged to her chest. She looked _traumatized. _

He took a step towards her, worried and she stood up shakily, her gaze turning to a scorching glare.

"Don't come any closer." Her voice was a quivering whisper. Madara deadpanned.

"You don't like the plan."

"**_How can you- How can you just LEAVE?"_**

Madara could only blink in response, shifting his gaze from hers to stare around the room. When he looked to her again, the accusing look was still there.

"**_Madara I CAN'T DO THIS! I-" _**She trailed off, looking left and right, as if what she wanted to say was scattered across the room. Her fists were clenched at her sides, her teeth grinding as she continued **_"I can't be OKAY with this!"_**

He licked his lip, watching her silently as she went on. Her pupils were wide, her silken hair was thrown around her shoulders as she shook her head.

**_"How can you not see what all of us are going through FOR YOU? Don't YOU CARE?!"_**

She was breathing heavily, taking a slow step towards him.

**_"How can you be so selfless?!"_**

He felt a lump form in his throat, taking a deep breath before he spoke.

"I love my family Kumiko, but all of you are under threat as long as I live. Follow Izuna's plan and you'll all be okay."

**_"I will never be okay with you DEAD."_**

"What do you expect me to _do? Kill them all?" _He narrowed his eyes, anger rising, "Already so many have defected and you want me to kill the opposition, half the remaining clan? Why don't I just kill everyone then?"

She took a nervous gulp of air. He pressed on.

"**_You _**_are pledged to me and if I say let me die then so be it. If I say you have to live on, you will."_

Kumiko's lips parted and then shut. The electric tension in the air crackled around them, giving them goose bumps. He saw her shiver once and he took another step to her, putting his gloved hands on her shoulders. Before he could speak, her hands found his face, her lips pressing desperately to his. He pulled her closer, one arm slipping around her waist, the other stroking her tear-stained cheek.

He dipped his head lower, craning into her and sliding his lips urgently against hers. She pressed back, her hands grasping his as she tugged on the gloves. He let her pull them off, pulling away from her to gaze deeply into her shaken eyes. Their breaths mingled and he took the initiative, moving in front of her and backing her into the wall. His lips found hers again, crushing against hers this time. She pushed back, a metallic taste seeping into the kiss as he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

He could feel her erratic heartbeat against his own, the soft skin of her breasts pressing against his muscled chest. She pulled her arms around his neck, one hand knotting in his hair, stroking and tugging it. They pulled away unwillingly for air, never breaking eye contact. When their lips met again, he pulled her hips to his, his hands under her thighs as he lifted her, her legs wrapping instantly around his torso. His lips moved from her mouth to the shell of her ear, licking it before nibbling the soft earlobe. The sound of his breathing huskily into her ear made her tighten her grip around his torso, her womanhood warm against his stomach through the thin shirt. He whispered into her, "You will do only what I say."

Carrying her away from the wall, he continued to nibble down the side of her neck, leaving trails of dark maroon all the way to the base of her throat. He dropped to his knees on the mat, leaning forward to lay her on it. She propped herself up on her elbows, careening her head to claim his lips again, massaging the soft skin with her own as he tugged off his shirt. She swallowed, her fingers trailing along his body to the waist band of his pants as she tugged him closer between her legs. Her shirt was torn off, the material giving away under his strong tug. She shrugged it off her shoulders as his hands pressed gently against her stomach, his fingers ghosting over the silvery lines and scars. He moved to kiss her above her taut breasts, garnishing every inch of her skin with light kisses, his fingers brushing ever so gently over the rising skin of old scars and she shivered, a hand moving to his hair, pressing him closer to her as he moved further. His hands coaxed her to lay down as he tugged off her pants, tossing them callously to the side. Through the thin material of her underwear, she felt his mouth kiss down to her womanhood, his warm lips pressing against her most intimately. A soft mewl escaped her lips and he pulled away, moving up to straddle her, staring down into her eyes as he lowered himself to press his lips firmly and possessively against hers. Her hands stroked the back of his neck, turning her head to deepen the kiss. He kicked off his pants and she rolled him over, pressing her hips to his, feeling the stiffness between his legs rise. He was staring up at her in fascination, wondering what she would do. They had rolled off the mat partially, the sheets twisting under them and spilling on the floor. She leaned down, the skin of her nipples brushing against his chest. One of his calloused hands trailed down her spine, the other hooking itself into her silken hair, fingers running through it and then roughly fisting it as she whispered his name into his ear. He closed his eyes, swallowing the lump and raising his hips, rolling them over again. He attacked her lips almost savagely, their bodies entwined. His hands pressed against her stomach, the skin burning. Every inch of them was searing with a heat Kumiko had never experienced before. Madara had known. The cloth protecting her womanhood from his was gone and she felt the skin of his manhood press against the moist heat. A moan escaped her and she clamped her mouth shut in embarrassment, her hands moving to cover her face as she blushed.

Madara smirked, leaning closer to her, letting himself rub against her. She shivered under him and he coaxed her hands away, whispering her name. He entwined his fingers with hers, knotting them together. When their eyes met, she couldn't look away and bit her lip in anticipation. But he wouldn't let her go on with this display of nervousness, he pressed his lips gently to hers, melting them together and turning his head. As she delved into the passion, he thrust into her, feeling her maidenhead break against him as he buried himself. She gasped into his mouth, her eyes scrunching shut, her hands clenching skin as she pulled her hands away from his to his shoulders. His hands, to distract her, trailed from the scars to the ink on her thigh. The marks she thought he hadn't seen, he traced them with his fingers, each kanji slowly retraced over the original with the hard tip of his finger. He knew precisely what it was. When he was sure she had adjusted to the new sensation, he began to move. He had propped himself onto his palms, each resting on either side of her face. Their skin began to gleam, she put her arms around his neck and pulled herself to his lips again, moving against his gently. She swayed her hips against his gently, timing herself and she felt him shift one hand to her hip, helping her.

He felt a sensation different from laying with any woman- a wave of strength, the spreading of energy. _Her bloodline. _His chakra was beginning to resonate through his body, pushing itself towards Kumiko, sparking between their skins and flooding through her with waves of pleasure. The heat only increased, their skin searing as chakra mixed and Kumiko's head fell back her eyes clenched shut. When she opened them again, the letters around her seal had begun to move differently, silver rings glowing dimly around her wide eyes.

They toiled over the sheets, skin against skin, whispering their names and moaning softly and secretly whispering to one another as their muscles coiled, tensing as they came closer to their end. With a shaky breath, they finished, seed spilling and blood mixing. Madara lowered himself onto her, rolling them so that they were on their sides, her hands pressed up against his body as she leaned her head against him. Her silken hair shimmered in the moonlight that had permeated the room. Madara never pulled out, instead caressing the skin of her scarred shoulder, breathing shakily together. Kumiko was mumbling something, her fingers digging into his skin possessively as they drifted to an unperturbed sleep.


	41. Hunt

"My heartiest congratulations!"

Madara was forcing a smile, thanking the grey-haired man in front of him. Kumyko's father, Hayashi Tsukinowa bore absolutely no resemblance to either of his daughters save for the slight freckles Kiyomi had inherited. Madara was mentally cringing away from the man, his chest stricken with panic. He would have had a room arranged for him in another residence but it would be considered rude.

'_Kumyko will have to remain upstairs.'_

Madara turned to the stairs as Kiyomi descended, taking one step at a time. Misaki was at the foot of the steps and offered her a hand as she took the final step and strode gracefully to her father. He was regarding her with his best impression of a warm, loving fatherly look.

Since the night they had laid together, Kumyko's powers had returned and she had enough of her sensing ability to pick up the distinct chakra signature of her father within the building. If fear could paralyze her physically, it would have but for now only her mind was fuddled and hazy, distraught.

They had dinner, all four- Madara, Izuna, Kiyomi and Hayashi. Izuna kept the conversation going, occasionally nudging Madara under the table to make him talk. It was clear, even to Hayashi that the clan leader had not wanted him here and it had only increased his desire to visit. He could sense that there was something strange in the air and he'd brought his right-hand men to snoop around and gather as much intel as they could.

As green tea was served, Hayashi cleared his throat.

"I am deeply grieved to inform you," He turned to face Kiyomi, fixing her with a gentle gaze "Your sister Kumyko has passed. She was murdered, not long ago. We suspect she tried to escape and the Senju did away with her. We never found a body."

Madara did not narrow his eyes, instead looking surprised. Kiyomi spoke before him. "If there was no body how could they know?" Her eyes were wide in fake-sorrow, her cheeks seeming to pale. Izuna had to applaud her skills, deciding he would reward her later.

"They sent us a letter confirming that they had finished her." He lowered his gaze, looking like a grieving father. For the first time, there seemed to be some sort of honesty in his expressions and he turned to look at Madara, observing the man's response. Hayashi was experienced, he knew an act when he saw it and he was pleased to find that everyone looked distinctly surprised and upset. But there was a cold light in Madara's eyes.

"I am sorry for your loss." The deep voice floated across the table and Hayashi nodded, responding with a hint of mockery.

"And I am sorry for yours."

They stared at each other, Madara picking up his cup to take a sip from it. His Adam's apple bobbed gently.

Misaki had been taking his tray of food to Kumyko's room when it opened seemingly on its own and he was pulled into it, surprised at what greeted him inside.

Hayashi was sitting on the tatami-mat floor of his room, glancing around it amusedly. It would not be long before he found out where Kumyko's real location was and he was _sure _she was not dead. The kunoichi sent to attack her had never returned alive. Her body had been sent back, abused and battered- a signature of the Left Wing.

Madara was staring across the table at Izuna. Kiyomi had excused herself after her father, leaving the two brother's to smoke. Izuna glanced out the window at a shadow that had moved across the yard. Promptly, he stood up.

"It's time oniisan."

Madara blew a smoke ring into the air.

"Make sure she isn't with you."

Izuna never agreed.

Misaki had been yanked into Kumyko's room by the girl herself, the door sliding shut and locking behind him. There were five people in the room besides her, dressed in black, their faces covered. They seemed to be lounging around the small room. Their masked faces seemed to be facing him. Before he could speak, Kumyko fixed him with a blank stare, raising her hand and blurring his vision as she knocked him out.

Izuna did a headcount of the men standing before him in the dark. There were six, making him the seventh. He nodded to himself, raising his fist to signal to the men. They moved in unison.

'_Funny, I thought she would figure it out.' _He mused to himself, leading the six members of the Left Wing towards the temple. They would be taking the tunnel east.

Madara spent an hour sitting at the table with his pipe. He had refilled it twice and the haziness made his eyes burn. He stood up, moving quickly out of the dining room, past Hayashi's assigned bedroom and up the stairs, rolling his right shoulder to remove the stiffness. He considered going to his room but remembering that Kumiko had been alone, he knocked on her door.

Misaki groaned, his and shooting to his head. It was sticky with partially dried blood and his vision was fuzzy. In the darkness of the room, he sat up. There was a silhouette outside the door and judging by the outline, it was Madara-sama. He tried to call out but he felt weak, he glanced down at the puddle of blood on the floor.

'_She didn't have to hit me that hard.'_

The howling sound of wind through the trees shuddered in through the open window, the shutters creaking eerily. He groaned again, trying to stand. The sound of another male's voice made Madara knock the door harder, eventually smashing through it. The door was shoved open and Madara met Misakis apologetic gaze. His dark eyes swirling into scarlet as he glared infuriated at the commander.

With the speed they were travelling at, Izuna estimated they would reach their destination in another twenty minutes. The Left Wing was an elite group of fighters and rogues and he noted that the seventh member, who he suspected to be Kumyko, was lagging slightly behind and he fell back with her, letting 'Nii' (Two) lead the way.

"Are you sure you want to witness this?"

She didn't turn to look at him, her black mask reflecting the yellow lights of the candles that were placed at equal distances. When she spoke, her voice was low and controlled.

"Yes, I want to do it myself."

"And what of Hayashi?"

"When I return. Nobody else will touch him."

Izuna nodded, smirking at the bloodlust hidden in the female's voice.

Madara was pacing Kumyko's room. He had helped Misaki bandage his forehead.

"And you are SURE you saw the other five in this room? With her?"

Misaki nodded, his face pale. Madara clicked his tongue, anger flooding him again.

"How could they have been in here? They were told of her death were they not?"

Misaki opened his mouth as if to speak, but shut it and instead shook his head. Madara froze.

"They weren't?!"

They were moving silently, hands on their Katanas as they filed out of the tunnel exit. Kumyko immediately recognized where they were.

"You know the order we divide the settlement."

Five masked men nodded, immediately departing to their respective locations to begin the operation.

Izuna nodded to Kumyko and she followed him. They would be taking the front entrance, the grand opening to a very red celebration.


	42. Child of Misfortune

Sorry for the late update my loves~

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Kumyko cut through one person to the other, mercilessly bringing her blade down on the warriors all standing to defend themselves. It was easier for the Uchiha, they could use their genjutsu to finish the people.

Kumyko didn't remember _when _the tears had started pouring down her face, but when she moved her hand under the mask to wipe the sweat, she felt the cold streaks and frowned. Her katana was dripping with dark liquid and she tried not to look at it as she proceeded. She was responsible for killing her father's family. She had _volunteered. _And as much as it was bothering her now, there was no going back, she had no choice but to be vicious.

But her chest was constricting, her hands had begun to shake and when she confronted her aunt, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to fully impale her. She raised her katana with both hands, her mouth quivering as she brought it down over the woman's head. There were screams she could hear, raging through the compound. Some of it had caught fire, she turned and watched her own house crumble to the ground not far behind her. She flinched as the structure collapsed into itself.

As the fire screeched its way from building to building, the sound of flickering flames began to resemble deep laughter that chilled her to the bone.

One of her comrades came into view, cutting through a ninja. She recognized the clan outfits, falling and being licked up by the scorching orange flames.

It was when she turned around that someone caught her by surprise. Kyoko. Once, her best friend.

She struck Kumyko across her face, ripping the mask and cutting clean through her right cheek. If Kumyko had the energy to scream she would have or whether she _did _scream she couldn't tell. The sound of fire and death was storming her ears, the scent of blood filling her nostrils as she ducked and avoided another dangerous blow. Kyoko was behind her, trying to bury the short-blade into her spine when Kumyko whirled the katana in her hand, reversing the blade and stabbing Kyoko through the stomach. She pulled it out, feeling the loose skin of cheek quiver as she moved. Her hand went to it immediately, sobs wrecking through her as she lowered her friend to the ground, borrowing the dwindling chakra of the dying girl to heal herself. The girl's eyes looked shocked, wide and lifeless. Like one of the dolls they had played with. Staring at her like this, Kumyko was reminded of her time as a child when they had been chased by supposedly Senju soldiers and she had feared she would lose Kyoko.

Kumyko stumbled onto her feet, breathing heavily as she let the skin of her face stitch back together, feeling her cells thread themselves together. Half of her face was visible now, wide eyed and hysterical. There was a reason she was doing this. A reason she wanted to end these lives.

'_To achieve peace, certain people have to die.'_

Her father had been the one to teach her that.

'_Even the innocent. For vengeance changes people.'_

She shuddered, dragging her blade as she walked lifelessly to the center of the compound, to the last group of people. They hadn't escaped, she had them sealed within her earth-dome technique. She placed her palm on the outer earth, feeling for the seven chakras on the inside. She whispered something to the soil, to the elders inside, wondering if they could sense her. She felt a surge of chakra, meddling with her own and her body shook, as if every muscle were spasming. The katana fell out of her hand and she stumbled away, trying to grasp at something. The earth began to dissolve away, the elders standing to their full heights as the prison fell away. The woman, her grandmother, was staring down at her. There was a silent regard in her eyes, the dim light of another disappointment.

'_She is my father's mother after all.'_

_'Psychotic bitch'_

The two women echoed eachother's thoughts as Kumiko staggered to her feet, grinning, never breaking eye contact. Behind her grandmother were five other grey, whispy haired, wrinkly old people. But Kumiko wasn't underestimating their appearances. Their generation had been the one to uphold strength and neutrality, the golden generation of the Tsukinowa clan. They had prowess exceeding the abilities of several clans.

Kumiko's lungs shook with each breath. She could feel her chakra gates losing control, chaotically fluctuating. She had no choice but to shut it down. She felt the seal on her thigh change, shift and stiffen. Her body stopped its spasms. Her grandmother took a step towards her, the elders close behind.

She should have taken a step back but her pride prevented it.

'_Pride is a flaw. You have too much of it Ku-chan.'_

Her mother's voice whispered in her mind, mockingly as her body was thrown a foot away from where she had been standing, crashing dangerously with the katana tucked under her. Now she felt like a puppet, she could feel the shift of chakra in the air and the distinct signature of her grandmother in the energy vibrating through it.

"Deal with the others."

The elders nodded, leaving Kumiko with the old woman towering over her.

"To think my dear that this day would come. I warned your father they day he sent you away with Madara."

Kumiko struggled to stand, using her katana for support. Her grandmother had never struck her, she would send painful vibes through Kumiko's legs through the most basic form of chakra manipulation. She had taught Kumiko a lot of what she knew now but she had upheld the rules and refrained from teaching her the kinjutsu and Kumiko had spent plenty of time learning those with Misaki's help.

"I understand what the theory behind this clan-slaughter is. Leave no one alive, no chance for vengeance. But what about _you?_"

Kumiko remained silent, carefully watching the old lady as she stood, her hands behind her back, her shoulders set firm and straight.

"Will you be the tragic heroine that lives on forever with this curse of a mass-murderer? Or will Madara finish you off?"

Kumiko did not budge, her eyes following the old woman's form as she began to walk around her.

"And what of Kiyomi? Will you kill her and her child?"

Kiyomi looked over her shoulder, meeting the cold, light-eyed gaze.

"Ah, I see. Madara knows everything does he not? You must have told him, in exchange for what you are carrying."

Kumiko frowned, not following. She spoke up, her voice surprisingly steady but not strong.

"Kiyomi told him and his brother everything."

"She is a fool and so is your father. We should have killed you before you were sent away."

Kumiko remained silent.

"Someone with your fowl mix of blood should never have existed. I should have done away with you when your mother pushed you out of herself."

Her mouth twitched, her hands gripping the katana harder.

She sensed it then and turned to her left, her mouth hanging open slightly. Her grandmother was facing her, marks moving up the sides of her neck and onto her face, spreading beneath her eyes and across the bridge of her nose. Her pale brown eyes were surrounded by rings of silver. One around the iris, the other around the pupil.

'_Kami help me.'_

Kumiko released her chakra too, the seal working to restore it to its balanced state. If her grandmother so wished, she would scramble it again, rendering it useless. Kumiko began to move, dropping her blade and ripping off the mask. Her grandmother moved and she momentarily disappeared, a foot lodging itself in Kumiko's back, then her stomach, then a palm was pressed to her forehead and Kumiko reacted, ducking as a jet of violently shaking chakra was shot into the air above her. She lunged, tackling the old womans middle and knocking her over but she twisted, kneeing her granddaughter and throwing her off. Both women were laughing when they stood. Kumiko began to seethe in pain, wondering just how long her body would be handle to damage being done to her organs.

She held up her index and middle finger in front of her, staring straight at her grandmother who seemed to blink in coolly hidden surprise.

"So you learned it?"

Kumiko never responded, her eyes lighting up with stark white rings. She had stolen her grandmother's chakra, leeching off her at every contact.

"You know more about your bloodline than I hoped."

But Kumiko didn't have the ultimate weapon that her grandmother bore.

The facial marks were something that appeared when a Tsukinowa reached the ultimate level of their power. It was a fail-safe, a biological seal that helped control the chakra gates, presenting the maximum amount of chakra allowance and decreasing the chances of bodily harm to the user.

That was why when Kumiko had fought Hashirama, she had injured her palm.

When her grandmother moved, Kumiko mirrored her steps. Their arms collided as they pushed against the other. Kumiko moved her footing, swinging behind the old woman to bring her fist down over her spine. But when her hands were close, the chakra she emanated sent a wave of pain ripping through the gloves to her skin, ribboning the skin on the sides of her palms. Kumiko stumbled, immediately attempting to heal her hands as she lunged away from the attacks, keeping a distance from the chakra her grandmother was projecting.

"If you bear any children for that clan my girl, they will carry your curse of misfortune."

Kumiko narrowed her eyes in response, narrowly evading another response.

"I'm surprised with all the dirty work you do, you haven't unlocked this ability."

She needed a little more time, leeching chakra from the air around her as she continued to narrowly evade.

"Tell me, what do you plan to do with all the chakra you are eating away from me?"

Kumiko wished the old woman would stop talking so she could concentrate. When she was sure she had enough, she made the handsigns, rat, boar, horse.

Her grandmother seemed to pause, genuine shock as her mouth parted. Kumiko was a good distance away from her, but her grandmother could clearly see the green light enveloping her legs, twisting up her body, her arms, her shoulders and finally moving in thin streaks up her cheeks and reaching her eyes. The markings that appeared after the green seemed to diminish made the old woman squint in surprise.

They were dark green lines running from Kumiko's eyes down her face. When she held up her palms, there were small letters visible between her fingers. When she pressed her palms together, the ground ahead of her and around her shifted, soil blowing away with the strength of chakra. Her grandmother wasted no time in moving, stepping through the large ribbons of chakra twisting their way to her, she was besides Kumiko in seconds and now the younger girl was moving in time with her, no longer evading her attacks but parrying them with her own, their fists colliding and legs bashing against the other. Her grandmother dug her fingers into the sleeve of her right arm, ripping it away with ease to behold the markings. Her tanned skin sported a singular, thick, dark green line that ran from a circle on the center of her hand to her shoulder. At this closeness, she made note of the dark maroon marks along the girl's neck and something in her gut stirred.

Kumiko had twisted around, lodging her fist into the old womans side. Her chakra was ribboning through her skin, bits of flesh and blood floating into the air and dissolving in the razor-sharp presence of energy around them. The old woman was staring at her with a bewildered expression and Kumiko froze in turn, losing focus on her strength as her arm ripped clean through her torso.

Suddenly, she froze, her other arm shooting to the old woman's left to support her as she lowered her to the ground. Her grandmother attempted to speak, her throat moving gently. She reached her hand to Kumiko's neck, weakly squeezing it, her other hand joining to try and increase the pressure. Kumiko was staring down at her with her wide, hysteric eyes and the old woman gave a raspy laugh, her hands falling away as she departed. She was staring down at the old woman when a voice appeared behind her.

"That was the last one. Come Kumiko, we need to heal before my brother gets here. One of these people managed to escape and make it to your father. He's hurrying here with Madara and an army of Uchiha as 'reinforcements.'"

Kumiko recognized the masked man and dropped the old woman onto the ground, standing up with a silence that Izuna expected would come. He had warned her but he understood that for closure she needed this.

"Madara will be furious."

When she turned to walk past him, he saw the strange markings withdrawing, the lines receding from her face and her arms to somewhere beneath her clothing. The other five Left Wing stood a little away, having watched the scene unfold. She had fooled them all into believing Madara had wanted them inside his residence and there she had convinced them to let her join the hunt in place of Misaki whom she had promptly knocked out to prove herself.

She said nothing as she brushed past him, leaving a trail of crimson dripping from her bloodied arm.


	43. Family

_Enjoy!_

* * *

They had set fire to the entire compound, the newly built walls hiding the inner destruction from view save for the rising smoke.

The Senju brothers were standing out on the roof top of the highest building, staring out at the smoke in the far distance.

"They should have seen it coming."

Hashirama's voice was silent and grave, a hint of regret in his voice.

"I'm sure Hayashi-sama had some idea. He must have seen through our lie."

Tobirama was watching his brother, they had planned this out carefully with Uchiha Madara but news had reached them that the body of the assassin was found battered and ruined, sent back to the Tsukinowa clan. Who had done it, Madara was not sure, Tobirama had doubted that. He would never trust the Uchiha to ever mean well, even if it was for mutual friends.

Madara was cutting through the forest, Hayashi leading the way with his own group of soldiers. They were flocked by Uchiha and Madara had an eerie feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had left Misaki behind with over half of his squadron, unwilling to compromise on the safety of his own clan.

_'That troublesome woman. She shouldn't have gone.'_

Madara had been frowning and Hayashi mistook it as concern for the Tsukinowa and felt a flutter of victory. All he believed he had to do was gain enough of the Uchiha's trust to stab them in the back with the death of the clan's most pure-bred leaders.

It took two hours to reach the settlement and Madara nodded to his soldiers to stand back, surrounding Hayashi and his men in an unsuspicious way. The gate was closed, the silence from the compound whistling eerily in their ears. Hayashi ordered his men to force it open.

After the massacre, Kumiko had dropped herself by the burning remains of her house, writing the name "Kumo" in the ashes. Her skin was dusted with black, the finest droplets of blood scattered over the right side of her face. An angry looking scar trailed from the right corner of her lip, running below her cheek-bone to curve up to her temple. The ash clung to her blood-soaked hand as she shifted her weight to her ankles, her hands resting on her knees. She had been trying to heal herself but instead, she had begun to weep, staring bleary eyed at the remains.

"Kumiko," One of the masked men called out, watching her intently from behind the mask. She stood up, wiping her tears, smearing blood and ash as she walked back. Her head felt empty, her chest felt empty. She felt cold.

She followed her comrades, standing by a large pile of debris as she pulled on her frayed mask. There was no point, but really, she had no choice. When the gates were pushed open, her eyes met her fathers and she froze. The fifteen Tsukinowa soldiers rushed in with him, all standing absolutely bewildered. The Uchiha moved behind them, like silent shadows, lifting their katanas swiftly and impaling them. Hayashi gasped as the guards fell around him, whirling to stare in the direction of the Uchiha. Madara strode in then, a cold light in his eyes and an aura so dark, Kumiko stumbled.

Her chest began to heave in fear. Her father, in that moment, looked old and shrunken, his wavy hair lifting slightly in the cool breeze. Madara strode past him, towards the seven. His eyes swept over them and he didn't seem to acknowledge Kumiko. Her father followed his gaze then and his eyes rested on hers, recognizing the unusual rings. Kumiko's had always been more white than silver.

Madara went to stand next to the masked Izuna, staring in Hayashi's direction with a look of disturbing amusement. When he spoke, he jeered.

"This," He gestured to the mess, "Is what happens when you try to stab us in the back."

In response, Izuna gestured to Kumiko to move towards the man. She unsheathed her blade, it looked almost brown with the dried blood painting it. As she took slow, measured steps towards her father, she wondered if he would try anything.

Hayashi moved quicker than one would expect, stepping in flashes past the Uchiha who had slaughtered his guard, each of them passing out as he stole their chakra. He was standing before his daughter then and they moved, side stepping each other as the rest looked on. Kumiko realized he wasn't after anyone but Madara and she flashed, having tagged her father, right behind him, swinging her leg into his side. It didn't take him any effort to send his chakra ripping through her leg and she retaliated.

Madara took a step forward, curious of the markings that had appeared on Hayashi's face. He had never seen a full-powered Tsukinowa before. Kumiko was next, her odd markings returning as she parried her father's attacks, keeping him away from Madara. Izuna felt the wave length of their power increase and gestured to everyone to distance themselves. The chakra both were emanating was flooding the area two feet away from their bodies and had the potential to shred through them.

Izuna wondered how Kumiko had the stamina to keep going at this point. To him, it was deeply interesting to watch two people struggle to control each other's chakra, disrupting it at a single touch. He hadn't thought Kumiko would be that powerful.

Madara's fists were curled, his muscles tense, as if he were ready to pounce into the battle at any given moment. However, a few moments after, the two stilled and Hayashi was staring wide eyed at his daughter as he stumbled away, his shoulders quivering as he collapsed. He heaved, then his body seemed to shudder and he stilled. Kumiko took a few steps away, dropping her katana on the ground by her. She was breathing heavily, turning to nod at the Uchiha. Madara stepped forward.

"Burn the bodies."

Izuna watched him as he walked to Kumiko, hooking his hands under her elbows as he guided her towards where the Uchiha soldiers had stood, shouting for a healer.

He tugged off her mask, smoothing her hair and cupping her face as he examined the scar. Unexpectedly, her hands rose and shoved his hands away from her face. Her eyes were wide and her mouth tense and she wasn't looking at him or anyone, only permitting answers to the medic with simple nods or shakes of her head. Madara regarded her silently, glancing away angrily for a moment as he surveyed the destruction. The sun had come up and the sky was pink. The flames were beginning to die away, the only one left burning brightly was where they had piled the remaining Tsukinowa and Hayashi. Kumiko was staring off in the direction that Madara recalled was towards the Senju settlement. It angered him more, though he was sure somewhere in his mind that she wasn't staring for any particular reason. He remained by her side, his eyes darting to her when she flinched. She had started rubbing her hands, pulling at the skin.

They would be taking the tunnels back and Kumiko was placed in the center of the line, Madara leading the way, followed closely by a few soldiers. Kumiko was ahead of Izuna and he would occasionally prod her to continue. She was walking almost blindly, zoning in and out of memories of her home.

The tunnel was dimly lit and it made her shiver, she hated the dark.

When they reached the compound, Izuna had asked her to return home while the rest of her comrades headed to the temple. She nodded, silently slipping through the rooftops to the Uchiha residence. When she slid the door open, Kiyomi was standing there, her eyes swollen from crying. She lunged onto her sister, clinging to her and weeping. Kumiko pushed her away, moving past her to the stairs. Misaki had been standing there too, surprised at the lack of expression on his junior's usually intelligent face. There was a heaviness in her steps as she climbed the stairs, deaf to everything but her erratic heartbeat. She walked past her room, past Madara's room, past all the bedrooms to the door at the end. To the bath. She descended to the hotspring, pulling off her clothing, the cloth squelching where it was soaked in blood. Her clogs had broken from the impact of chakra and she had splinters in her feet. She lowered herself slowly into the heat, letting the water sear through her cuts and ripped flesh. She moved to the other end, pausing in the middle when she noticed the red inking through the water. She pulled her hands out of the water, staring at them and then beginning to wash them, scrubbing on the dry blood and the flecks of undried crimson. The ash smelt pungent and the metallic scent was making her nauseous. She scrubbed harder, roughing up her torn up skin, not feeling the pain. Her tears brimming and spilling. Not a single sob wrecked through her, silent tears slipping out of her eyes as she stared, unseeing, at her skin.

Unaware of the sounds around her, she felt someone press up against her bare back. She hissed as the memory of the singing brand on her shoulder shot through her mind. Strong arms took hold of her wrists, pulling her hands away from the other.

Madara was resting his chin on her bare shoulder, whispering her name in his hushed voice to bring her back to the present. He pulled her with him to the edge of the pool to sit and pulled her down between his legs. He hadn't removed his clothing, jumping into the water when he'd seen Kumiko tugging so violently on her ruined skin.

"Madara, what have I done?"

He didn't speak but put his arms around her waist, pinning her hands to her sides.

"What have I-"

Her voice cracked and she quivered, lowering her head and sobbing. Her body quivered against his and he didn't let go. He didn't keep track of how long they stayed in the water, how long she had cried, her shoulders shaking violently.

When she had silenced, she leaned her head back against his chest and he had rested his chin on her head, washed over with guilt.

"Come, let's get you cleaned up." He whispered, letting her go and gently pushing her off him. She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes swollen as she dunked under the water once. Madara tugged off his wet shirt, tossing it onto the floor surrounding the hot spring. When Kumiko came up she was running her hands through her hair, her face looking cleaner. But her hands were still stained, and streaks of ash and blood still adorned her cheeks and her forehead. He gestured to them and she dunked her head again. Madara admired her strength, she was still standing on her own feet, despite being an emotional wreck.

When she came up, wiping her face, he was right in front of her, his hands moving to rest on the curve of her hips.

"That's better." He was still just whispering, he had not the courage to speak to her normally.

"I'm filthy." Her voice was quiet and he noted that she had started scrubbing herself but this time with a bar of soap. He was relieved.

He sat down in the water, the water reaching up to his mouth. She would have laughed but her mouth was stern as she scrubbed off the blood, concealing her body in the water.

"I will carry this forever won't I?"

Madara glanced up at her face, trying not to stare at the lines of her breasts.

"You won't."

"I've stained myself with their blood. I will never rid myself of it."

She sounded conversational, as if what she was saying wasn't effecting her. But it was, Madara could see the way her pupils seemed permanently dilated and he stood up, wrapping his arms possessively around her body and pressing himself against her as the soap slipped out of her hand.

"Stop talking like that."

She stared back at his narrowed eyes with a cool expression. "Like what?"

"Like you're okay."

Nothing shifted in her eyes, her body did not move. "I'm not okay."

He nodded, studying her eyes, searching for some sign of the humanity she held. She glanced away from him and he saw it, the guilt. He leaned down and ghosted his lips over the marks he had left on her throat. She shivered, tears spilling from her eyes onto his skin as she buried her face into the crook of his neck and wept.

The rest of the day, she had remained in his room upon his insistence, wrapped in his blanket as he sat by her weeping form, occasionally rubbing her back or stroking her soft hair.

In the pit of his chest, his heart fluttered. The medic had informed him, not too long after healing her injuries, that there had been odd chakra activity in her womb. It was too early to tell whether it was just the coming of her monthly blood or the stirrings of life inside her. Madara did not wish to leave her in such a distraught position if their child was to be growing inside her.


	44. Change

Sorry for the late update, been super occupied this whole past week!

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Soft breathing, feverous skin, lips brushing and crashing as the pair sunk into the bed-sheets.

It had been more than a month since they'd been together, since they'd touched each other or shared the air of the same the room.

Two months ago, Kumiko had been rocking herself to sleep, Madara by her side, holding her, soothing her, comforting her. Two weeks later, she had become ill and the medic's only explanation was 'emotional trauma'. In the process, her body rejected the child she was carrying- the first miscarriage Madara was to witness. There was nothing in her body yet that needed assistance in removing and she'd bled according to her moon cycle, a painful week for her, she refused to take anything for the pain and in turn, Madara refused to see her.

He kept himself busy with his business, coming and going at times where she could not even catch a glimpse of him leaving his room. Slowly, Kumiko receded more and more into her room, remaining in her chambers even at dinner. A few times she had joined but Madara had never come- she felt she was the cause.

Silent as she was, her current state of mind involved spending a lot of time staring at things, observing the shadows of the furniture, the lines on her skin, the scars on her limbs. Days shifted to week, then weeks and a month went past as quick as the setting sun.

Distraught and depressed, Kumiko had refused to eat the meals sent to her, slowly starving herself. She believed that Madara would never understand her position; she believed that he hated her for killing the child she never knew they were going to have, she hated herself for-

'_Relax, please.'_

Izuna's words often echoed in her mind. He had come to see her a few times in the beginning but she was unresponsive, not even moving sit up.

There had been a day where someone had knocked on her door and she had not responded. She held no thoughts or hopes towards it opening but it did, with a loud _whack. _She had sat up then, her back feeling stiff, her hips feeling weak.

Madara had stormed into the room, not bothering to shut the door as he strode to her. She watched him with her lidded, dark-lined eyes. There was a tinge of blue beneath them, a sign of her insomnia.

He hadn't paused to let her gather herself, instead grasping her forearm roughly, lowering his face to hers as he growled.

"What do you have to say for yourself?"

Kumiko hadn't replied, blinking back at him silently. He shook her, her frail body unable to keep control. When he let her go, she swayed back and slowly lowered her gaze, never speaking a word. When she did, it came out dry and scratchy- "I am sorry, Madara-sama."

He had given her an incredulous look, snarling almost at her, "You should be."

She turned her head to stare at the corners of the room, a lump in her throat, her eyes narrowed bitterly. Times like this she wished she had the tears to cry. "It was not under my control."

Madara had stared at her wide eyed and surprised, he had walked away from her and now he was walking back and she flinched when he reached an arm to rest on her shoulder. He crouched down to be level with her and gave her the most baffled look she'd seen, confusion gracing his handsome face.

"Eating is under your control, I'm pretty sure."

She had blinked at him again, his mouth twisting into a small, odd smile.

"What were _you _talking about?"

Kumiko wanted to shake her head and say 'nothing' but her mouth did not move, her neck did not respond. She was left staring dumbly into the gently smolder of his gaze. He raise an eyebrow and she glanced down at her lap, wringing her hands, tugging the skin.

His hands gripped hers then, pulling them away from each other, her skin burning under his. He stared at her lap, then her belly and then closed his eyes, leaning to rest his head in her lap, directing her hands to his hair. And she did as he directed, threading her hands through his dark silken strands, worrying her fingers through them. She felt like that helped her, tugging and pulling gently at his scalp. She could feel the warmth of his body pressed up against her legs and he sat like that for what felt like an eternity but also nothing more than a mere moment in eternity. When he pulled away and stood up to leave, he said nothing. Walking back and sliding the door shut gently. Kumiko wrung her hands in her lap again and the material of her yukata was damp.

A week passed after that, she did not see Madara but she had begun to eat, taking time to walk to her sister's room and talk. Kiyomi had been more welcoming than Kumiko expected, even asking Izuna to visit her. She began to put herself back together, rationalizing her thoughts, trying to expel the negativity that seemed to gravitate towards her. She never joined them for dinner or any family-sitting but she felt herself warm up to the household again. A fortnight later, she was sitting on Madara's bed, waiting for him to return. It was late and the twilight had set in quiet some time ago. She moved to lay down and the scent of sandal had lulled her to sleep.

When Madara returned that night, he sat at the edge of the bed, her feet brushing his hips as he watched her. He was relieved that she had come, he was relieved that she was improving. He had felt that he hadn't the heart to force her to be with him and he'd withdrawn from her out of fear. He shifted, crawling slowly onto the bed and hovering over her, lowering his body next to hers, nudging her nose with his. She was a deep sleeper but her eyes fluttered open and without greeting, she leaned up to take his lips, her thin fingers finding their way to his neck and he jaw-bone, feeling every inch of him. His skin was burning against hers and he shivered, the heat scorching through his body was almost stigmatizing. He wanted to be gentle but self-control was slipping slowly from him as she pressed herself against him, his hands working quickly to remove her clothing.

And then he was pressing her into the mattress, her back to him as he lowered himself over her. Soft gasps escaped her, fuelling him. They toiled and twisted and turned together, Kumiko returning affection with the same amount of force, much to his relief. They exchanged heat and chakra until their vision was white-washed, their bodies giving the final shudder before he collapsed over her, breathing heavily down her neck, kissing between her shoulder blades, his tongue trailing over the Uchiha mark.

Then they had curled up into each other, legs entwined, hair entangled, forgiving each other for whatever wrongs they had done.


End file.
